Surrender
by RozaBelikova-x
Summary: Sequel to Better With You. When Dimitri gets released from prison, he goes to find Rose. While Rose seems to have moved on from the past, she was the only thing on Dimitri's mind the past few years. He's desperate to make things right with her, but after everything that's happened, can he win Rose's heart back? AH
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, I'm back again with the sequel to Better With You! I really hope you're going to like this! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1  
**

 **RPOV**

When I heard a knock on the door, I checked myself one last time in the mirror. I had to admit I looked really nice tonight in my red cocktail dress and high heels, but then again… I'd made some effort. I'd straightened my hair , put on makeup – but not too much – and to finish it I'd put on red lipstick. I normally didn't use lipstick, but I wanted to make an effort to look good for my date. There was another knock so I quickly crossed the narrow hallway and opened the front door, offering Luke a radiant smile.

"Wow, you look hot," he said, whistling as he gave me a once-over.

I'd been aiming for 'beautiful', but I guess being called hot was close enough. My smile wavered slightly, but I thanked him for the compliment anyway.

Luke was wearing dark jeans and a light blue shirt that complimented his eyes. They were an icy blue, just like Christian's – which gave Lissa a reason to tease me mercilessly – but his tousled hair was dirty blond _unlike_ Christian's black hair. So I really didn't see the need to compare the both of them, but Lissa couldn't help herself each time Luke's name came up. I didn't even know why she was making such a big deal about him anyway because we'd only been out on a couple of dates. It wasn't like I was going to marry the guy – or _any_ guy for that matter.

Luke offered his arm to me and asked, "Shall we go?"

We left my apartment and rode the elevator, stepping out on the ground floor. The restaurant Luke was taking me was only a few blocks away so we decided to walk there. Even though it was so close to home, I'd never been here before. It was small, but it looked nice and cozy. While the food was great, the company wasn't much so. Luke seemed preoccupied with his phone all night. He was an accountant and apparently one of his clients was in desperate need for his advice. I didn't understand why the guy didn't just contact him during office hours or why Luke didn't tell him to contact him tomorrow.

I'd already finished my delicious spaghetti when Luke finally got off the phone. "I'm so sorry about that, Rose," he apologized, his face contrite. "I would've ignored the call, but this is one of the most important clients we have so I couldn't just turn him away."

"It's okay," I lied, taking a sip of my wine, avoiding eye contact.

But why was I so annoyed that he'd taken the call? I mean, I didn't really _like_ him and I didn't see a future for us so why did I even care? But the sex was good – even I had to admit that. Maybe I'd just wanted him to pay more attention to me tonight because I'd spent a lot of time prepping myself in the bathroom tonight. Maybe I'd just wanted to be looked at the way a certain person used to look at me. _Okay, don't go there now, Rose. You're out on a date!_

I was about to speak when the phone started ringing again, but to my surprise, it wasn't his this time. It was mine. When I noticed the caller's ID, I let out a sigh and picked up without so much as an apologize to Luke.

"What happened?" I asked, almost rolling my eyes.

"You have to get over here," Adrian shouted over the noise on his side of the line. He sounded annoyed. "She's out of control. You're the only one who can calm her down."

I suppressed another sigh. "I'm actually on a date, Adrian. Try Andre's cell."

"I already tried. He's probably still at work," Adrian answered. "He's always so busy engineering he forgets he has a life outside of his job and _a girlfriend to take care of._ "

Andre was an engineer and it was true that he worked a lot so that meant he barely had any time for his other commitments in life. I admired his work ethic, but still... He should know work isn't everything.

"Please, Rose, she's dancing on my bar right now and smashing all my expensive glasses," Adrian complained. As a matter of fact, I heard something shatter in the background. "You have to come and get her right now!"

"Alright, I'm on my way," I told him before disconnecting. I looked up at Luke, who stared at me with a frown. Oh boy, he sure wasn't going to like this… I leaned forward and reached out for his hand. "I'm so sorry," I started, giving him an apologetic look, "but I have to go. There's a friend who needs me right now."

Luke pulled his hand away. "Do you mean Adrian?"

I paused. "Well…not exactly. I just have to drag another friend out of his bar. She's making a commotion over there."

He was still scowling. "Why do _you_ have to do it?"

"Because I'm the only one she listens to," I answered. _Sort of._ "Let's do this another time, okay?" I started to get up and gathered my things. Taking out some cash, I put it on the table. "I'm sorry, Luke. I'll call you later."

Luke sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll meet up with this client then."

I faked a smile. I bet he wasn't even that upset that I had to leave; he was probably giddy on the inside that he could get back to his work. "Good night," I called over my shoulder as I hurried over to the door.

Outside, I called a cab. I knew Adrian's bar wasn't that far, but my feet were killing me – these heels weren't such a great idea after all – and I wanted some peace and quiet so I could try to call Andre myself. He didn't pick up, of course.

"Great," I muttered.

Ten minutes later, I stepped out in front of Adrian's bar that was simply named 'Adrian's bar' and took a deep breath. Just like me, Adrian never went to college. He just decided to wing it and open a bar up in the capital city of Montana, Helena. I moved here as well after I'd finally graduated from high school – a year later than my friends. I'd no longer wanted to live in that miserable town I once called home, which my parents understood.

This was my real home. I'd been raised here as a kid so it was only normal that I'd returned here. Now, it had been my home again for nearly five years. Most of my friends had found their way here as well so there was nothing really that tied me to Columbia Falls, except for my parents. They still lived in the house by the woods. I rarely visited; they usually came here because they knew how much I disliked the town.

There were a lot of smokers huddled together outside the building. Some I recognized – they were regulars – so I gave them a nod before entering the building. No one would've ever guessed Adrian's bar would do so well, but even Sydney had had to give in at last. She'd been really upset at the beginning because she was scared Adrian was only going to start drinking more, but the opposite had happened – mainly because he just didn't have the time anymore to get wasted himself. Yes, Adrian had finally grown up.

I pushed my way through the thick crowd. Even from here, I could see the girl dancing on top of the bar, her hips swaying while a distraught Adrian tried to get her down. When I finally managed to get there, I looked up at the girl with a scowl.

"Viktoria, you have to come down from the bar!" I shouted, hands on my hips.

Viktoria didn't stop; she was completely lost to the rhythm of the music. Heaving a sigh, I climbed on top of the bar as well, ignoring Adrian's protests. Finally, Viktoria looked up.

"Oh hey, Rose," she said, grinning. Her voice was slurring. "Are you going to join me?"

"No," I said firmly, grabbing hold of her arm. "Now come on. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Don't be such a killjoy," she said cheerfully, twirling around.

"Stop, Viktoria," I exclaimed, getting impatient as I watched her teeter on the edge of the bar. "You're drunk. You're going to break your neck if you don't watch out."

Viktoria stopped moving and looked at me, bored. "God, Rose…exaggerate much."

"Okay, I've had enough of this," I muttered. I grabbed her arm again and forcefully dragged her off the bar. She protested, but she was so drunk she couldn't keep her balance. She fell on top of me and we almost dropped to the ground, but Adrian caught us just in time. Together, we helped Viktoria back on her feet.

Viktoria was cackling. "Whew, that was close!"

As I looked a little more closely at her, I feared that she hadn't just been drinking. I gave Adrian a knowing look and he shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know what she's been up to," he shouted over the music. "I was behind the bar all night. About an hour ago, she starting hanging out here, which is fine, but when she took it a little bit too far I called you."

I gave him a curt nod and pulled Viktoria along with me to the bathroom, anger boiling inside of me. There were two girls in the ladies' room, fixing their makeup.

"Out!" I yelled.

They looked at me, offended.

"Don't make me repeat myself," I growled, staring them down.

Quickly, they scurried out, the door slamming shut behind them. Viktoria was still giggling like a little school girl; she didn't realize how furious I was right now. Well, she was about to find out. I pushed her into the light and she blinked rapidly, turning her head away from the bright lights. Grabbing her chin, I pushed her face upward so I could study her properly. I smiled grimly when I saw her pupils were dilated. There were traces of white powder on her nose.

"What the hell?" Viktoria exclaimed, shoving me off of her.

"Have you been snorting coke again?" I shouted angrily. This was the third time I'd busted her. Each time she told me it wouldn't happen again, but those were all lies. I wondered how many times she'd snorted coke without me finding out. "Fucking hell, Viktoria! You can't keep doing this to yourself!"

"You can't tell me what to do," she snapped, scowling at me.

"The hell I can't!" I returned, glaring at her. "Don't you realize that you're going to ruin your life if you keep doing drugs?" She said nothing. "Drugs don't solve your problems!"

"I don't need them to solve my problems," she snarled. "I just need them to have fun."

"You're not using them to have fun," I argued. "You're just using them to forget all about your past." Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down. "I know you're hurting and I know you miss your brother, but this is not the way, Vika. This isn't going to help you." I refused to say his name out loud – I hadn't said it in six years so why start now? Even though years had passed, I was only now starting to heal from the pain he'd caused. "Please find the help you need. Go back to therapy or talk to Andre-"

She snorted. "He's too busy with work."

"Then go back to therapy!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in frustration. "It helped you before so why not now? Trust me, all this drinking and doing coke…it's not going to do you any good in the long run. You're going to get addicted. Do you want that?"

She just stared at me, her lips pursed together.

I clenched my jaw. "Does Andre even know about the coke?"

She grinned. "What do you think?"

"How long has this been going on?" I demanded.

"A little over a year," she answered with a shrug.

"Well, you're getting careless, Vika! This is, like, the third time I caught you in only a couple of weeks!"

"I'll be more careful next time," she taunted.

"That's not what I mean!" I shrieked, almost losing it completely. "You have to stop this! I'm not going to catch you every time you fall! You just ruined sex night for me!" Viktoria raised a surprised eyebrow at me and I let out a heavy sigh. "I'm tired of this. I shouldn't be taking care of you."

"I didn't ask you to," she said in a clipped voice. "You're not my sister."

"I'm well aware of that," I snapped. _Keep your cool, Rose. She's just broken and lonely. Don't make it worse for her._ "But you're my friend," I added in a much gentler voice. "And I want you to be okay."

"Except I'm not okay!" she shouted, her eyes wild, before she pushed past me.

"Viktoria!" I called after her as she disappeared back into the crowd.

I cursed and pulled out my cellphone, dialing Andre's number. When he finally picked up, I told him to get over to Adrian's bar immediately so he could take his drunk girlfriend home. Thankfully, I didn't need to search long to find Viktoria. Adrian had caught her on her way out. I mumbled a thank you to him before leaving the bar with Viktoria.

Andre arrived thirty minutes later. It had been a struggle to keep Viktoria in the same spot – she'd kept wanting to leave. She probably didn't want to face Andre when she was drunk _and_ high. Andre escorted Viktoria to his car. When she was safely inside, he turned around and walked back to me.

"Thank you so much," he said, out of breath. "I know I should've been here, but-"

"Yeah, you should have," I cut him off, crossing my arms. "Viktoria is _your_ responsibility now."

He looked away guiltily. His eyes drifted to Viktoria in the car, then back to me. "I'm sorry, Rose."

"It's fine," I said dismissively, suppressing what must be the hundredth sigh tonight. "But you should take better care of her. I know you have a lot of work, but she's not doing well, Andre."

"I know," he said, hanging his head in shame. "I'm trying, but I honestly don't know what to do. If I tell her to stop drinking, she only drinks more."

"It's not just that," I told him with a shake of my head. He looked at me, clearly confused. I hesitated, but then decided he needed to know the truth. If that made Viktoria angry at me, then so be it. "She's been doing coke."

"What?" Andre gasped, his eyes wide in shock.

"It's been going on for over a year according to her," I said grimly. "But I think she's doing it more and more. This is the third time I caught her."

"Oh my God." Andre leaned back against the wall for support, an anguished look crossing his face. "How could I have not known this?"

I put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry, Andre."

He was nearly in tears. "What am I supposed to do now? Do I send her to rehab?" He buried his face in his hands. "She's never going to forgive me if I do that to her."

"Well, maybe you could convince her to see her therapist again," I suggested. "Or if she could open up to you..."

"I've already tried that," he said, desperate. "Every time I try to talk to her, she shuts down. I… I can't help her."

"Then you need to find her some help," I told him. "I know this isn't easy, but it's the only way."

He nodded, taking a few deep breaths. I actually felt really bad for him and wished there was a way I could help him out, but even I no longer had any influence on Viktoria.

"I'm sorry," I said again, feeling awkward.

Andre straightened up and took a step back towards the car. "Thanks, Rose," he said, giving me a sad smile. "I owe you one."

I watched him climb inside the car and waved when they drove off. I glanced down at my watch; it was already getting late and I desperately wanted to go home, but I didn't feel like waiting on a cab. With a heavy sigh, I slid off my heels and held them in my hand as I started walking back to my apartment.

* * *

 _There you go, the first chapter of Surrender! A lot has changed over the years, but it seems like it's not all for the best! What do you guys think so far? I figure you were all hoping for Dimitri to make an appearance. Don't worry, he'll make his introduction next chapter ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a great day/evening :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you very much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! I'm very happy so much of you have decided to give the sequel a chance! :D_

 _ **To one of the guest reviewers** : I don't really know yet how many chapters there are going to be in this story. So far I think about 20, it could be less or it could be more. To answer your second question, I'm not sure yet if I'll be posting my fanfics on Wattpad. _

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **RPOV**

"Oh my God, you're not going to believe this!"

Startled, I looked up from the counter when Mia barged into the shop. She had the hugest grin on her face as she practically ran over to me. She tossed our lunch on the counter and I yelped, quickly checking if my sandwich was still in one piece.

"Lissa called me just now and guess what?" she said in a high-pitched voice.

I tried to hide my smile; I already knew what this was about. "What?" I said, trying to sound equally excited.

"She's going to hire me for her wedding!" she squealed, throwing up her hands in the air. "I mean _us_ ," she corrected quickly. "She's hiring _us_."

"It's _your_ flower shop, Mia," I told her, chuckling. "I'm just your loyal and humble servant."

Mia shook her head at me, but she was still grinning. "You're more than my servant, Rose. You know that. We're partners."

I smiled. "I told you Lissa would choose you. She's your friend. Plus, your floral designs are amazing. It's a win-win."

"You're going to help me out, right?" Mia asked, her eyes wide. "I know you are her bridesmaid and she'll take up a lot of your time, but I can't do this alone. I need you."

"Of course I'll help you," I reassured her. "I'm your friend and your employee."

"Stop saying that!" Mia linked her arm through mine. "You're my partner."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Partner."

I'd been working in Mia's flower shop ever since she started out. I helped her open up her business because I had nothing else to do, really. I hated my job as a salesclerk in Walmart so when Mia was looking for an extra hand I gladly stepped up. And now I'd been working here for nearly two years. I loved the fact that I worked with one of my closest friends. I realized Mia was my boss, but she had never patronized me. The fact that she kept calling us partners said enough about our work relationship. So yeah, I was pretty content here.

Mia sighed dreamily. "I can't believe Lissa is going to marry her high school sweetheart."

I snorted. "Me neither."

Honestly, I'd known from the moment I met Lissa that she was going to marry Christian one day. They'd been s _o_ in love when I first met them – they still are. I never once thought that college might change that for them. They were a strong couple; they could get through anything.

"While some of us have to wait _forever_ for their significant other to pop the question," Mia said, sighing audibly.

I looked at her sideways. "Are you waiting for Mason to pop the question?"

She shrugged. "I'm not exactly waiting, but… I wouldn't say no if he did. I know we're still young, but I know what I want in life. I know _who_ I want in life." She smiled to herself. "And it's Mason."

Obviously she knew a lot more than I did. I didn't even know what I wanted to have for dinner tonight. And _she_ was a year younger than me. I frowned at the thought. Was there something wrong with me? _Oh, don't answer that._

"Maybe you should give him a hint," I suggested.

"I already did a couple of times, but he's oblivious. Maybe that'll change after Lissa and Christian's wedding." She looked out the window, a dreamy smile playing on her lips. "Maybe he'll finally see what he's missing."

"Yeah, maybe," I said distractedly as I grabbed our lunch and walked into Mia's office.

I sat down in her big chair while Mia perched on the edge of the desk. To my annoyance, she was still talking about marriage. All I wanted was to eat my turkey sandwich in peace, but Mia clearly thought otherwise as she rambled on, her lunch forgotten.

Suddenly, she asked, "What about you? Don't you want to get married?"

I shook my head vehemently. "Never."

"That's because you haven't met the right person yet," she responded in a teasing voice, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

I grimaced. I'd already met the right person, but unfortunately for me he hadn't wanted me. I didn't believe there was anyone out there who could spark the same feelings I'd had for _him_. He was the first person I'd loved…and the last.

Luckily, Mia didn't push the subject any further. The rest of our lunch break was spent in a comfortable silence. The afternoon passed by quickly thanks to costumers filing in and out of the shop. I had to admit Mia was doing really well for herself and I couldn't be more proud of her.

As I walked back home after work, I called Luke. He didn't pick up, which didn't come as a surprise. Maybe I could try again in a few hours. On my way home, I ran into Adrian, which _was_ a surprise seeing as he didn't live in this part of town.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I actually just came from your place," he answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "But you weren't there. Obviously."

I started walking again and he followed. "What's up?"

Adrian scratched his head, squinting at the sun. "Well… I wanted to talk to you about Viktoria."

My mood plummeted immediately. "You realize she's not my responsibility, right?"

"I know that, but…you're like a sister to her," Adrian said smoothly. "So that makes you the best person to talk to right now."

"I have a feeling Viktoria would disagree with you," I muttered. "But sure, talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind."

"I don't want Vika hanging out in my bar anymore," he blurted. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and he gave me a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, okay? But she's not even twenty-one so she isn't supposed to be there anyway. I don't serve her alcohol, but it doesn't matter. She's already drunk before she comes in!"

 _Tell me something I don't know._

"If she keeps doing that, I'm going to lose my license!" he exclaimed, upset. "What the hell am I supposed to do then?"

"I really think you should discuss this with Andre," I told him. "Viktoria doesn't listen to me anymore. The only one who can reason with her now is Andre." I paused. "You could always try yourself. Who knows? Maybe she'll pity you and get off your back."

Adrian fixed me with a glare. "Rose, this isn't a game!"

I stopped abruptly and glared back at him. "I know it isn't a game, Adrian. But what do you expect me to do? Tie her down? Call the cops? Kidnap her and take her back to her mom?" Adrian flinched at the harsh tone of my voice. I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. Lowering my voice, I continued, "Andre is going to try and talk to her. Maybe he can convince her to go to rehab. But honestly…we all know there's only one person who can make her see reason and he's far away from here."

"Are you talking about-"

"Shh!" I cut him off.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "You're being ridiculous, Rose. He's not Voldemort. We're allowed to say his name."

"But I don't want to hear his name," I argued.

"Fine," Adrian said, exasperated. "Isn't he getting out soon?"

I'd hoped it would've been the end of _that_ subject, but apparently Adrian didn't know when to stop. Without replying, I started walking again. I couldn't wait to get home, where I could be alone and think about something else than the drama going on in my life. But Adrian was still following me, looking at me expectantly.

"I have no idea when he gets out. And frankly, I don't care," I said flatly. "But feel free to contact him."

"It doesn't sound like you don't care, seeing as we're not supposed to say his name out loud," Adrian muttered.

We reached my apartment building and I scampered up the stairs. Opening the door, I turned around and said, "Look, I wish I could help you, but I don't know how. I'm sorry." I gave him a small smile. "Catch you later."

Before he could reply, I disappeared inside and hurried to the elevator. Thankfully, Adrian didn't follow me in. I sighed in relief when I finally entered my apartment, where it was quiet and peaceful. _Just what I need._

After taking a relaxing bath, I sat down on my couch and turned on the TV. After flipping through channels for over an hour, I started to feel hungry and decided to order pizza. While I waited for my pizza to arrive, I called Luke. He didn't pick up – _surprise!_ – so I left a message, apologizing again for last night. Bored, I sat back down on my couch even though there was nothing good playing on TV right now.

Not much later, I heard the telltale buzz, announcing that the pizza delivery guy had arrived downstairs. With a smile, I jumped up from the couch to let him in. Grabbing my wallet, I searched for a few dollar bills and then raced back to the door. I threw it open and came face to face with –

"Hey."

I stared at him, my mouth wide open and my eyes as big as saucers. He gave me a hesitant smile, waiting for me to say something, but I was rendered speechless. I don't think I'd ever been this shocked in my entire life. As I took him in, my heart started beating faster and faster until I was convinced he could hear it.

He still looked the same, with his dark shoulder-length hair and his chocolate brown eyes piercing mine. He seemed to have grown even taller, but he was still as handsome as he'd been six years ago. And he was still the same person who'd broken my heart into a million pieces.

I frowned. "You're not the delivery guy." I peeked out of the door, tapping my foot impatiently. "Where is he?"

"Rose-"

I faked a smile. "I'm sorry. I think you're at the wrong apartment. There's no one here called Rose. You should try next door."

Turning away from him, I waved my hands in front of my face and blew out a breath. Why was it suddenly so hot? Why was I sweating? Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jerked away from him immediately and looked back up at him, glaring.

"Don't touch me," I growled.

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry."

My eyes darted around the hallway as I contemplated slamming the door shut in front of his face. Would he leave? Or would he stay and keep knocking on my door until I caved in? Maybe I should run instead.

"Rose, I know you didn't expect to see me here," he said in that familiar accent of his. The accent that I loved. "But I need to talk to you."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. When I opened my eyes again, he was still here. I guess that meant this wasn't a dream – or rather, a nightmare.

Deciding to stop playing games, I said flat-out, "Dimitri, I don't want you here."

Dimitri looked down at the floor and nodded. "I get that, but… I really need to talk to you."

"Why?" I snapped.

He looked at me pleadingly. "Please, Rose."

I'd never been able to resist his pretty face. _Fuck me._

"I guess it doesn't hurt to let you in for a few minutes," I said with clenched teeth, pushing open the door with my foot. I pressed myself against the wall as he passed me, afraid to touch him, and then slammed the door shut. "So… I guess that means you're out of prison, huh?"

Dimitri turned to face me. "Just a few days ago."

I looked everywhere but him. I didn't know if I should be outraged it had taken him this long to come to me. Didn't he desperately need to talk me?

"I visited Mama," he continued.

My anger subsided a little bit. When Dimitri dumped me, I'd promised Olena to keep in touch with her anyway, but I realized I hadn't been doing such a wonderful job at that these last couple of months. I did, however, make good on my promise to look out for Viktoria. But I was pretty sure I wasn't doing a good job on that either, seeing as she was doing drugs now.

"How's she doing?"

He shrugged. "She's doing okay."

An awkward silence fell. I crossed my arms and looked at my feet, wondering if I should say something. But why should _I_ say something? _He_ came down here to talk. About what, I had no idea. We'd said everything that needed to be said six years ago. At least, he had.

"I'm sorry for barging in like this," Dimitri started, breaking the silence, "but I-"

He was interrupted by the pizza delivery guy who was downstairs holding my precious pizza. I buzzed him in and we waited for two very long minutes. After paying him, I shut the door again and placed the pizza box on the table before sitting down. Before things could get even more awkward between Dimitri and me, I motioned for him to sit as well. Suppressing a sigh, I said, "I guess this means you're staying for dinner."

* * *

 _Uh-oh! Rose isn't too happy about seeing Dimitri, which isn't that weird after what happened between them. How do you think their conversation is going to go? What do you think of Rose's job? Is it something for her? Next update will probably be during the weekend, as usual. Thanks again for the amazing response to the first chapter and have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for your reviews and the amazing support! :)_

 ** _Warning:_ _there's an M-rated scene in this chapter!_**

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **RPOV**

We finished off my pepperoni pizza in silence. If I'd known on beforehand I'd have visitors tonight, I would have ordered two pizzas, but then again…who would've thought that Dimitri Belikov would ever waltz back into my life after being released from prison? I certainly hadn't.

Taking a sip of my much-needed cheap wine, I looked at Dimitri over the rim of my glass. He looked different, but still the same as I knew him. I glanced from his broad shoulders to his biceps. He'd certainly buffed up. I had to admit that I was appreciating the view, but for how much longer? We couldn't sit here in silence forever.

"Where's your duster?" I asked. I knew it was a stupid question since it was summer, but he used to wear his duster everywhere, even when it wasn't that cold outside.

His lips twitched into a wry smile. "It's been six years. I don't think that duster fits me anymore."

 _I'm well aware that it's been six years, you dickhead._ My eyes traveled to his biceps again. _How ripped does his abdomen look now?_ I thought involuntarily.

"Have you been working out?" I blurted out.

"There isn't much else to do in prison," he answered, almost shy.

"So…do you have tattoos now?" I asked.

He looked at me in confusion.

"Isn't that what every prisoner does?" I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Cover their bodies with tattoos?"

"Oh, sure," Dimitri said casually. "I've got one on my shoulder blade."

"What is it?" I asked, unable to keep my curiosity at bay.

He smirked. "Your name. _Roza._ "

My eyes almost bugged out of their sockets. "Excuse me?"

Dimitri started chuckling. With a shake of his head, he said, "I'm just kidding, Rose. I don't have any tattoos."

I was not amused by his joke. I slammed my glass down on the table, almost spilling wine in the process. I leaned forward and said, "Okay, I've had enough of this bullshit. Why are you here?"

Dimitri sobered up at hearing the harsh tone of my voice. He looked at me, contrite, and said softly, "I just wanted to see you, Rose. It's been so long and I… I've missed you."

That angered me even more. "So you didn't really need to talk to me after all, huh? You just wanted to see my face and make sure I was doing alright so you can finally clear your conscience?" He looked at me with a pained expression on his face. I wasn't going to let him fool me, though. I knew why he was here. "You can rest easy, Dimitri. I'm doing perfectly fine without you in my life and I'm no longer heartbroken because of the way you dumped me." I pushed my chair back and stood up. "If that was all, you can leave now."

Dimitri stood up as well. He hesitated, but then walked over to me and stopped right in front of me. I looked away; I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes. He didn't have to know how much I was still hurting from his betrayal.

"Roza," he said. He lifted his hand and his fingers brushed against my cheek. "Please look at me."

I closed my eyes at his touch. I'd been craving his touch for six long years and now that it was finally happening, I was crying. Dimitri wiped my tears away and I opened my eyes again to look at him. His face was full of regret and pain and hope – all the things I was feeling right now. Things that I shouldn't be feeling.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes pleading with me. "I'm so sorry, Roza."

Slowly, I shook my head and started pushing him away. "You can't just make things right with an apology, Dimitri!"

I'd let go of him a long time ago, just as he'd let go of me when he sent me away that awful day when I visited him in prison. Now it was time to prove what I'd been saying to myself the past few years: I was over Dimitri Belikov.

"I know an apology doesn't make things right," Dimitri started. "There's nothing I can do to make up for the way I've hurt you. All I can say is that I'm sorry. That's why I came here. That and…" He cut himself off, sighing.

"What?" I exclaimed angrily.

He looked up at me. "I still love you."

I hated that my heart skipped a beat at the moment those words came out of his mouth. My heart shouldn't jump into overdrive just because he was near me. I should no longer be affected by this man – not after what he had done to me. The only thing I should feel for him was anger.

"I never stopped loving you," he admitted.

I looked at him, furious. "What do you expect from me right now? Do you want me to say I still love you too? Do you want me to take you back after you _destroyed_ me?"

He winced at my words. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be so, but-"

"I'm not angry," I yelled, even though it was clear I _was_ angry. I turned away from him and took a deep breath. When I felt calm enough, I turned back around to look at him. "I'm not angry. I'm just disappointed in you."

Quickly, Dimitri strode back over to my side and took my hands in his. "Please, Rose… I know we can fix this," he pleaded. " _I_ can fix this. I know I've hurt you so much, but I don't know how to live without you. You were the only thing that kept me going when I was in prison. I told myself every night before I fell asleep that when I got out I would make it up to you." I scoffed, jerking my hands away. But he only tightened his grip on my hands. "And I will," he said firmly. "I will make it up to you. I promise-"

A new surge of anger came over me and I forcefully pulled my hands away from his before shoving against his chest. "Your promises are meaningless!"

Dimitri looked like I'd slapped him in the face. I regretted the words as soon as I'd said them, but wasn't it true? Hadn't he made me the same promise after the first time he'd broken up with me? For me, it had only resulted in more heartbreak.

While I would never admit this to anyone, I'd secretly wished for Dimitri to visit me after he'd gotten out of prison. I'd wished for him to realize his mistake and I'd wished he'd come crawling back to me. But now that he was here, I found myself wishing he'd never come back because I wasn't sure how much more heartbreak I could take.

I could no longer hold back my tears and started sobbing uncontrollably. Dimitri started putting his arms around me. I struggled against him for a few moments, but he didn't back down. At last, I relaxed into his arms and buried my face in his chest as I cried my eyes out.

"I'm so sorry," Dimitri said, his voice breaking. "I never meant to hurt you like this. I just wanted to do the right thing and let you go. I wanted you to move on because that's what you deserved. You deserved to have a happy and carefree life. You didn't deserve to be tied down to someone who was locked away in prison." I felt him press his lips against my hair. "That's why I let you go. Not because I didn't love you, but because I wanted to give you back your life."

Dimitri always wanted to do the honorable thing – the _right_ thing – even if it meant throwing away his own happiness. But he'd thrown away my happiness as well without even giving me a choice. He'd made the decision all by himself, just like the first time he'd broken up with me.

I didn't know how long he held me in his arms, right in the middle of my apartment, as he let me cry my heart out. It could've been a few minutes or maybe even a few hours. But at long last, I had no tears left to cry. Slowly, I pulled away from him.

"I would have waited for you," I said, feeling numb. "You know I would have. But you took the choice away from me _again_. You _broke_ your promise."

"I know. I was a fool." His eyes were still pleading with me. "I'm sorry."

"I've spent six years trying to get over you," I told him. _Trying and failing,_ I thought bitterly. "I'm finally moving on." I paused, shaking my head. "I can't do this again, Dimitri."

Dimitri looked like he was going to cry, which made my heart ache only more. "I – I know," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here." He started for the door. "I'll go."

I realized I'd just told him that I couldn't do this again, but for some reason I was outraged that he was going to leave it at that. He just barged in here, without even considering how it would make me feel, and now that he'd said what he'd wanted to say he was leaving again? Like this? Before Dimitri could open the door, I was on him, pounding my fists against his back.

"How could you do this to me?" I screamed. "How can you just come here and mess up my life again? And then just _leave_ as if it's nothing?" Dimitri turned back around and caught my wrists. "You're an asshole, Dimitri! You're-"

"Then tell me what you want me to do, Rose!" he cut me off. He let go of my wrists, which he shouldn't have because I started hitting his chest. But instead of backing away, he stepped closer and grabbed my wrists again. "What do you want me to do, Rose? I just told you I still love you, but you don't want me anymore, which I understand perfectly." He released my wrists again and I stepped back, breathing heavily, as I stared at him. "Tell me what you want and I'll do it. If you want me to leave, then I'll leave. If you want-"

Without thinking, I stepped forward and crashed my lips against his. Even though I'd caught Dimitri off guard, he kissed me back immediately, wrapping his arms around my waist. A voice inside my head whispered that this was not a good idea, but I ignored it. Dimitri pushed me back against the wall as his lips devoured mine. Honestly, it felt so good to have his lips on mine again. A slow smile spread across my face when he started trailing kisses down my jawline and neck.

"Bedroom," I breathed, gently pushing him off of me.

 _ **\- START M SCENE -**_

Dimitri stopped briefly to give me a questioning look. Before I could change my mind, I grabbed his hand and led him back to my bedroom. I started stripping down and then lay down on the bed. Dimitri hadn't moved; he was staring at me wide-eyed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked impatiently.

That was all he needed. In a flash, he was on top of me, clothes strewn on the floor. I grinned before kissing him passionately. His lips moved down my neck and collarbone, trailing kisses there. I closed my eyes and let out a soft moan as he continued to kiss down my body. When I could no longer take his teasing, I tugged at the ends of his hair and told him to hurry the fuck up. I rolled over and opened my top drawer. Grabbing a condom, I threw it at Dimitri and settled back on the bed.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he moved back on top of me.

Instead of answering, I ran my hands over his chest and pressed my lips against his. He groaned and in one swift motion pushed himself inside of me. I let out a small gasp and tightened my arms around his neck. Dimitri's lips found mine again and, slowly, he started to move in and out of me.

I had to admit I'd been with a couple of guys since my breakup with Dimitri, but none of them could make me feel what I felt when I was with Dimitri. Nothing had ever felt this good – this _right_. Suddenly, I wondered if sex with other guys hadn't been that great because Dimitri had always been on my mind. Or maybe they were just not as good as him. Or maybe I was biased.

When we both reached our peak, Dimitri collapsed on top of me. I wrapped my arms around him as he buried his face in my neck, both of us trying to catch our breath. At last, he rolled off of me and we lay there silent in bed.

 _ **\- END M SCENE -**_

I wondered if I should kick him out of my apartment now. I glanced at my alarm clock and noticed that it was pretty late so I figured he could stay the night. _Just this once, though_ , I told myself.

"Roza," Dimitri said, breaking the silence.

I didn't feel like talking so I rolled away from him. Thank God the lights were already out. I really didn't want to see the look on his face right now.

"Good night," I muttered, closing my eyes.

If he thought everything was fixed now, he was wrong.

* * *

 _You probably didn't expect them to get it on so soon, but even though they'd had sex Rose doesn't seem to be in a forgiving mood yet. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! I hope you liked it! :)_

 _Classes start again tomorrow so I'm afraid I'll only be update once a week again, during the weekends. It sucks, but school's important too. I hope you can understand. Thanks :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you very much for the reviews, follows and favorites! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **RPOV**

Somehow I must've ended up in Dimitri's arms in the middle of the night because when I woke up I was staring right at his handsome face. He was still fast asleep and there was a small smile playing on his lips. Whatever he was dreaming must be really good.

Slowly, I moved out of his embrace, careful not to wake him. After putting on some underwear and a shirt, I tiptoed out of my bedroom. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that he was still asleep. I let out a sigh of relief and continued my walk to the kitchen. After making myself some coffee, I sat down at the table with some cereal. I wasn't sure what to do next.

Did I have to wake him up and throw him out of my apartment? Did I let him stay? I didn't even know where he lived – did he even have a place to live? Maybe he was staying at a hotel. But how was he going to pay that? He just got out of jail. I couldn't imagine he had a lot of money right now. There was just so little I knew about him and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out more about him. I wasn't even sure if I regretted what had happened last night. Sure, it had been amazing, but maybe it hadn't been a good idea after all. What if he thought this meant I was going to take him back?

Someone cleared their throat and I looked up, startled. Dimitri stood a few feet away from me in his boxers. I wished he'd put on his clothes so I could think rationally. Slowly, my eyes traveled down his body and I gulped. He _really_ had been working out.

"Good morning," he said, offering me a smile.

I wasn't sure yet if this morning was 'good'. Maybe it was or maybe it could become the worst morning I'd ever had. I guess I'd find out soon enough.

"There's coffee and some cereal," I told him. "I'm sorry, but that's all I got. Oh, and some orange juice in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever you want." Dimitri eyed me carefully. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile and motioned towards the coffee machine. "You can find a mug in the cabinet above the machine."

As Dimitri poured himself some coffee, I refilled my bowl with cereal and milk. When he turned around, I quickly glanced away from him, hoping it wasn't obvious I'd been staring at him.

"I don't know what your expectations are after last night," I said, clearing my throat, as he sat down across from me, "but I'll tell you now that whatever happened between us doesn't mean that we are okay. We're not. I'm still very pissed at you."

There was a hint of a smile on his face. "I know."

"Good," I muttered. "Cause it's not happening again. It was a moment of weakness."

"That's too bad," he responded with a grin. "Because last night was pretty amazing."

I looked at him. He was right; it had been amazing, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He didn't need to know how much I enjoyed last night because that would only encourage him to win me back and I wasn't sure if I wanted that.

"Yeah, I can imagine it was pretty amazing for you," I noted, "seeing as you haven't been laid in six years."

"From the way you were screaming my name, I'd say you feel the same way about last night," he said in a teasing voice.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to hide my own smile. "Cheeky. Did you develop a sense of humor while you were in there or something?"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me. "Come on, Rose. You've always thought I was funny. I made you laugh all the time."

I sipped my coffee. "Maybe."

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. I had no idea who'd come over on a Sunday morning, but I got up anyway. When I opened the door, I was met with a surprise. Luke stood in front of me, bouquet of flowers in his hands – I couldn't help but notice that they came from Mia's shop – and gave me a beaming smile.

"Good morning, Rose," he started, handing me the flowers. "I realize it's still early, but seeing as our date on Friday night didn't work out so well I thought we could do something today? I mean, we're both free."

I glanced over my shoulder at Dimitri, feeling uncomfortable. "Uh, actually-"

Luke didn't hear me and walked in without waiting for my invitation. I quickly stumbled after him and nearly bumped into him when he stopped abruptly at the sight of Dimitri sitting at my kitchen table. Dimitri looked at me in confusion and I shrugged helplessly.

Slowly, Luke turned back towards me, his eyes blazing. "What the hell?"

"Umm…" I was at a loss for words so instead I gave him an apologetic smile. Honestly, I hadn't thought about Luke since the moment Dimitri had walked into my apartment. And honestly… I didn't feel bad about it. Luke and I had only gone out on a couple of dates that _yes_ , had ended up in sex most of the times, but we'd never agreed to be exclusive. "I don't really know what to say," I said at last. He stared at me, incredulous, and I felt awkward. This wasn't going very well. "I'm sorry?"

"Clearly." The sarcasm dripped from Luke's voice as he looked from me to Dimitri, who was only wearing his boxers, making me look only more guilty. He shook his head and muttered, "I'm out."

He almost knocked me over in his hurry to leave. Sighing, I followed him. "Look, you never said you wanted to be exclusive. He's just an old friend."

Luke turned so suddenly, I had to take several steps back. "And that's supposed to make this okay?"

"No," I answered, "of course not." I paused, looking down at the flowers I was still holding in my hands. "Maybe you want these back?"

"Keep them!" he snapped before storming out of my apartment.

I winced when he slammed the door shut. I waited a couple of seconds before returning to the kitchen to face Dimitri. I had no idea what he was thinking right now. Would he think I was a slut? I'd never dated more than one guy at once. Maybe sleeping with Dimitri while dating Luke hadn't been fair on my part, but it had never been my intention to sleep with Dimitri when he first walked in here. There was just something about my ex-boyfriend that I couldn't resist.

Dimitri cleared his throat. "Your boyfriend seems nice."

"He wasn't my boyfriend. We just went out on a couple of dates," I said defensively.

There was a brief moment of silence before he said, "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"No, it's not. _I_ made the decision to sleep with you," I told him. With a sigh, I sat back down on my chair. "It doesn't matter anyway. We weren't serious."

He nodded, but avoided looking at me. He looked tense all of a sudden and I couldn't help but feel like I'd done something wrong. Should I have told him about Luke? I frowned at the thought. I didn't owe Dimitri anything. Not after what he had done to me.

"So how many guys have you dated since…" Dimitri cleared his throat, still unable to look at me. "Since, you know…we broke up."

I studied his face more closely and finally realized what was going on. "Are you jealous?"

Finally, he looked up. I expected him to deny it, but he didn't do that. Instead, he said, "So what if I am?"

I stared at him, stunned. "What did you think I had been doing all these years?" I asked after a few moments. "Did you think I was going to become a nun after you dumped me? _You_ wanted me to move on so I did."

He closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. "No, Rose. Of course not. But…" He opened his eyes again and looked at me. "It's hard for me to imagine you with other guys, okay? I don't like it. It's even worse when one of them comes strolling into your apartment. I know that isn't fair, but that's just how I feel. I'm sorry."

I clenched my jaw, not sure if I should be angry with him right now or if I should feel flattered. It was obvious he still cared a lot about me, even after years of not seeing me.

"Last night I told you I still loved you," he said, "but I don't know how you feel about me." He paused, hesitating. "Is there a part of you that still loves me, just a little bit? Or did last night really mean nothing to you?"

I knew that if I told him that I didn't love him and that last night meant nothing to me then he'd probably leave and never come back. Wasn't that what I'd wanted when he first came barging in here last night? But somehow I couldn't compel myself to say it. Maybe because I knew I'd be lying, but also… I wasn't quite sure yet if I was ready to give him up again. I'd had to miss him for so long, and yes, I was still very angry at him, but _damn_ … I'd missed him terribly!

Last night, when we'd been together, it had felt like coming home and I wished I could tell him what he wanted to hear, but I couldn't just hand over my heart again. For that to happen, I needed to trust him. And that was the problem. I didn't trust him enough to know that he wouldn't rip out my heart for a third time. How many times could a person allow someone else to break their heart? I didn't know, but what I did know was that I could not handle it a third time.

"Dimitri, look…" I sighed, not sure how to explain what I was feeling. "I don't know. It's been so long. We hardly know each other anymore." I paused, biting down on my lip. "A part of me wants to give you a chance, but there's also a part of me that says I need to stay away from you." A pained expression crossed his face upon hearing my words. It made it hard for me to keep looking at him. "I feel like I can't trust you. At least not with my heart. You've already broken it twice. Who's to say you won't do it again?"

Dimitri reached across the table for my hand. I let him take it and he squeezed it. "Please tell me how I can earn back your trust. I'll do anything, Roza."

"I don't know," I told him, frustrated. "Maybe I need more time. I don't know!" Feeling a surge of anger, I pulled my hand away from his and snapped, "You figure it out. You broke it." He flinched at my words and I backpedaled. "Sorry. That was mean. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right," he said quietly. "I broke your trust and now I have to figure out a way to earn it back." He looked up at me. "And I will," he added firmly. "I'll find a way to fix this. To fix us. I know we can work this out." He sighed. "We'll get to know each other again and I know it'll take time for you to trust me again, but it's going to be okay. We're going to be okay." I didn't know who he was trying to convince more: me or him. "Please say you're going to give me a chance to make it up to you."

I hesitated for a moment, but then I glanced up at him and he looked so sincere and eager and desperate…

"Okay," I agreed.

Dimitri almost sagged in relief.

"You're actually making it really hard for me to say no when you're half-naked," I grumbled, glaring at him, "which I don't think is fair. But alright. I'm giving you a chance."

He started grinning. He pulled his chair closer to mine and, leaning in close, he pressed his lips against my cheek. "Thank you, Roza."

"Don't thank me yet." I smiled reluctantly. "Now get dressed. You're distracting me from my breakfast."

After breakfast, Dimitri went to take a shower. When he came back, he was fully dressed, much to my relief.

"I forgot to ask, but where do you live?" I asked. "You've only been out for a few days…"

"I'm crashing at a friend's place for now," he replied.

"Do I know him?" I asked curiously.

"I might've mentioned his name once." He paused, hesitating. "Ivan."

"Ivan," I repeated, thinking. It did sound familiar. Dimitri waited for it to click and when it finally did, I gasped. "Your cellmate?"

Dimitri nodded. "He got out two years ago. He lives downtown."

"Wow," I said, rendered speechless. Dimitri had only mentioned him once and that had been during my last visit to him; I never found out what Ivan was in for. "Cool."

Dimitri smiled hesitantly. "Yeah…I hope that's not a problem?"

I frowned. "Why would that be a problem?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Because it might be weird for you?"

I shook my head. "No… I just…" I cut myself off, not sure if I should ask. "Is he scary?" I asked at last.

Dimitri started laughing. "No, not at all. He's a good guy."

I wanted to say that usually good guys don't end up in prison, but that wasn't true. Because I believed Dimitri was a good guy – aside from being a moron and an asshole from time to time – but he was a good person who'd done something bad. Quite frankly, I thought he'd made the world a better place by removing Kazimir from it, but obviously not everyone feels the same way.

"You're wondering what he was in for, aren't you?" Dimitri asked, eyeing me carefully.

"No," I lied.

He smiled. "Yes, you are."

"Okay, maybe I am," I admitted.

"Forgery and auto theft," Dimitri said.

I nodded, contemplating this. "Should I be worried?" I asked at last.

He shook his head. "No, he's learned his lesson. Believe me." He glanced at the door and sighed. "I should probably head out. I don't want to disturb you any longer."

I wanted to tell him that he could stay a little longer, but I was supposed to be mad at him. I still was. Maybe it was a good idea if he left me alone for a while so I could clear my head and think about what I really wanted from Dimitri right now.

"Okay," I said with a nod. "I guess…I'll see you around then."

He nodded and started for the door, but then stopped. "Do you know where I can find Vika? I don't have her number, but I'd really like to see her."

My face fell. "Oh."

"What?" he asked, frowning.

I diverted my eyes as I gnawed on my lower lip. Shit. How was I going to tell him that Viktoria had moved in with Andre a little over a year ago? Did he even know they were dating? I knew Viktoria had visited Dimitri a lot, but I couldn't imagine her telling him all about her relationship with Andre. Dimitri had never liked him, mainly because he was a few years older than her.

But Andre wasn't even the biggest issue here. The drinking and the drugs were. If Dimitri found out about that, he was going to freak out and I wouldn't blame him. But really, Viktoria should be the one to tell him. Not me.

I shook my head, "No, sure. I'll write down her address and number. Don't freak out too much when you find Andre there. They sort of live together," I said nervously. "Just a heads up."

Dimitri's face clouded over – just a little. "Yeah, I've heard they've been dating for quite some time now."

He made it sound like Viktoria hadn't been the one to tell him, but I didn't dare ask. As he moved towards the door again, I put my hand on his arm.

"Can I ask you one more thing before you go?"

He smiled at me. "Sure, Roza."

"How did you find out where I live?"

His smile widened. "Lissa."

And then he was out the door. I stood there, stunned for a moment.

"Lissa," I muttered, rolling my eyes before going back inside. "I should have known."

* * *

 _There you go! How did you think the conversation between Rose and Dimitri went? Was it something you expected? I hope you liked the chapter. Have a great day/evening! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **DPOV**

When I finally reached the street Rose had scribbled down on the note, I started feeling nervous. I hadn't seen or spoken Viktoria in so long. I had no idea how she was doing or _what_ she was doing in her life right now. I only knew the things Mama had told me and that wasn't much. Even Sonya and Karolina had no idea what she'd been up to.

Apparently, she'd cut herself off from everybody, but no one knew why. Mama was worried about her and I'd promised to call her as soon as I'd talked to Viktoria. Something told me, though, that she wasn't doing so well. While Rose hadn't said anything, I'd seen the look on her face when I'd mentioned my sister. It could be that she'd just reacted that way because she was afraid I would freak out upon hearing she'd moved in with Andre, but it could be something else as well. Something far worse…

I'd known about Andre for a long time now, though it wasn't my sister who'd told me she was dating her high school crush now. It had been my mother who'd told me on one of her many visits. I'd been upset at first, but I should have seen it coming. I mean, they'd been flirting since the moment they met and when I was out of the picture they'd made their move. _Smart._

When I was finally standing in front of her apartment door, I took a deep breath, knocked on the door and hoped for the best. It seemed to take forever, making me wonder if she was even at home. But then I heard someone coughing and some shuffling and at last the door opened. I gave Viktoria a tentative smile as she stared at me, stunned. Then she squealed and jumped into my arms, almost knocking me off.

"Oh my God, Dimka!" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly. My smile widened and I wrapped my arms around her. When she pulled back from the hug, she looked me over. "I can't believe you're here!"

Now that she'd stepped back, I had a chance to look her over as well. She had a blanket wrapped around her, even though it was summer. Her hair was disheveled and she had bags under her eyes, like she hadn't slept in days. Overall, she looked terrible.

"Are you ill?" I asked, worried.

She diverted her eyes. "It's just a cold." She sniffled and rubbed her nose, turning away from me completely as if she was trying to hide from me. "Come on in."

She told me to sit on the couch while she went to fetch me something to drink. I glanced around the apartment. It was big and very modern, but there were clothes and junk strewn everywhere. There was a half-eaten burger on the coffee table. When Viktoria returned, she quickly picked it up and threw it in the trash before proceeding to pick up clothes.

"I'm sorry about the mess," she muttered, too embarrassed to look at me. "I haven't had a chance to clean yet."

"That's okay," I said, though I wondered if there was something else going on. "Nice apartment."

Finally, Viktoria sat next to me on the couch. "It's not mine. It's-"

"Andre's, right?" I finished for her.

She blushed. "Yes."

I nodded. "I heard you two moved in together."

She peeked at me from under her eyelashes. "Are you mad at me?"

I sighed. "No, I'm not mad. I just wish _you_ would have told me you're dating Andre. I had to hear it from Mama."

"I'm sorry," Viktoria murmured. She cleared her throat, rubbed her nose again and changed the subject, "So when did you get out?"

"Just a few days ago," I answered.

"How come you didn't visit sooner?" she asked with a frown.

"How come you stopped visiting me in prison?" I returned, arching an eyebrow.

Viktoria blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry. I've been busy. With the move and changing jobs."

"Why aren't you in college anymore?" I asked.

She shrugged before glancing up again, a defensive look in her eyes. "It wasn't for me."

I decided not to push the subject. "Okay. So where do you work now?"

She looked away, biting her lip. "Macy's." I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off, "Before you say I can do better than that – that I should go back to college or whatever – I _like_ my job. Thank you very much."

"I wasn't going to say anything," I told her, though that was exactly what I'd wanted to say.

"You don't even have a job," she bit out, "so don't comment on mine."

I held up my hands in surrender. "I'm not saying anything. Jeez, calm down, Viktoria."

Why was she being so snappy all of a sudden? I hadn't even given my opinion yet. I looked at her, surprised by her reaction, and she looked back at me with a scowl. Suddenly, a drop of blood trickled from her nose.

"Vika, you have a nosebleed," I said.

Her eyes widened and she sprang from the couch, searching for tissues. "Shit. Not again."

"Again?" I asked, following her to the kitchen. "Does this happen often?"

She turned back around to face me, a tissue pressed against her nose. "Sometimes," she said in a muffled voice. "It's because of my cold."

I frowned. I'd never heard you could get nosebleeds from having a cold. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Yes, fine," she said in a clipped voice, avoiding my gaze. "It's not a big deal."

I said nothing, though I still had that nagging feeling she was hiding something from me. And Rose knew. I hadn't forgotten the look on her face this morning when I asked about my sister. Whatever was going on, neither of them were eager to tell me. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I couldn't help but feel like there was something more going on than Viktoria was letting on.

"Maybe I should let you rest," I said at last. "I'll come back some other time. When you are feeling better."

She nodded, seeming relieved I was already leaving. "Yeah. Maybe that's for the best."

"So where's Andre?" I asked as I started toward the door.

"Out for a run." She eyed me suspiciously. "Why? Are you going to hurt him?"

I refrained myself from rolling my eyes. "No. I'm just asking." Letting out a sigh, I murmured, more to myself than to her, "He'd better take good care of you."

"Thanks for your visit, brother," Viktoria said, leaning against the doorframe. She gave me the smallest of smiles. "I'm glad you're out."

"Yeah, me too," I muttered. I started to turn away, but then stopped. "Oh, there was one thing I wanted to ask you…"

I was hesitant to bring this subject up, but I _had_ _to_ if I wanted to gain back Rose's trust. If I ever hoped to have a relationship with Rose again, I needed to be honest with her. But I couldn't go behind my sister's back either.

"Hmm?" Viktoria said distractedly, still holding the tissue against her nose.

"I saw Rose," I said.

Her eyes widened again and she gasped. "Really?"

"Yeah, I went to her apartment."

Viktoria glanced around nervously, as if she knew what was coming. "What'd she say? Was she, uh, pissed?"

I snorted. "That's an understatement. But she has every right to be pissed, don't you agree?"

Viktoria gave a tiny nod. "So… Is she going to take you back?"

I sighed. "She says she's going to give me a chance to make it up to her, but I know she hasn't forgiven me yet. I haven't forgiven _myself_ yet – and I'm not sure I ever will. But I'm going to give it my all to win her back and if I do that… I'll have to tell her the truth, Vika. I can't keep secrets from Rose if I want to make this work."

Viktoria's eyes filled with tears. "Dimka, please… You can't tell her."

I shook my head. "I have to, Vika. I'm sorry."

She looked at me pleadingly. "Can you hold off for a while so I can figure things out? Please… I just need a little more time…to process… I don't know," she rambled "Please don't tell her yet. Just wait a little more."

"What does it matter when I tell her?" I asked, confused.

"It matters!" she exclaimed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "It matters to _me_."

I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a breath. I hated when my sister was crying and she knew it. " _Fine._ I'll wait," I told her, exasperated. "Figure out whatever you need to figure out. But I'm not waiting forever, okay? I need to tell her soon."

"Of course," Viktoria said, nodding. She gave me a grateful smile and stepped forward to hug me. "Thanks. I'll see you later, Dimka."

I said my goodbyes and then left. On my way out, I nearly bumped into Andre. He almost tripped over his own feet as he looked at me, stunned.

"Dimitri!" he exclaimed, still gasping for air after his run. "You…you're out?"

"Apparently," I said dryly.

"That's, uh, great," Andre said as he slowly backed away. He was obviously uncomfortable around me, which wasn't surprising considering I'd never been friendly to him because he'd been hitting on my sister. _And now they're together anyway._ Maybe I should make an effort to be nicer to him. "I'm sure Vika was very happy to see you."

"Yeah…" I said slowly, faking a smile. _Not so much, really._ "I should head out now."

Andre nodded. "Good to see you, Dimitri."

He jogged past me and practically raced up the stairs, clearly in a hurry to get away from me. I smirked; it seemed like he was still scared I'd punch him in the face for going after my little sister.

I wasn't sure what to do the rest of the day, seeing as I had no job – for which I'd have to start looking tomorrow. If it was up to me, I'd go back to Rose's apartment, but I had a feeling that Rose wouldn't appreciate so many visits from me. I needed to take things slow. So instead, I went back to Ivan's apartment. He said I could stay as long as I wanted, but I didn't want to impose. As soon as I'd earned enough money, I'd find my own place. But for that to happen, I would have to find a job first. With only a high school diploma I earned in prison, it would be hard to find something good, but I guess I could always start waiting tables again.

"Ah, there you are," Ivan said when I walked in. He was lounging on the couch, watching TV. "I thought you lost your way home."

"No need to worry," I returned with a grin. "I won't lose my way."

Ivan shrugged. "Who says I'm worried? So…" He turned off the TV and gave me an expectant look. "Did you get the girl?"

My grin faded. "I don't know yet."

He raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"She was really mad at me," I explained. "And I can't blame her."

"You stayed out all night so she can't have been _that_ mad," he snickered. "Don't you agree that makeup sex is the best sex?"

I shot him a look. "Mind your own business."

That made him only laugh harder. "So when do I get to meet her?"

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you want to meet her?"

"I spent years listening to you yammer about her," he responded. "It's only fair if you introduce me to her. So I can put a face to her name."

I frowned. "You've seen her picture."

When I was in jail, the one thing I'd asked Mama to bring from the house was a picture of Rose. It wasn't the same as seeing her every day, but it was all I got. After Ivan had seen me stare at her picture for a week, he'd asked who was in the picture and I'd told him all about Roza. He'd said it was plain stupid of me to dump her and I wished I'd listened to him, because there hadn't been a day that I didn't ache for her.

But I never regretted my decision – at least not at the time. I'd thought I was giving Rose a new chance at a better life – one without me. I'd told myself I would leave her alone once I got out so she could continue her happy life, but when Christian visited me he told me how miserable Rose was, followed by Lissa. And then Abe told me as well.

And who was I kidding? I couldn't be out in the world and _not_ visit Rose – even if it was just once. I had to see her again. So that's what I did, but it wasn't enough. I wanted her back in my life. I wanted her to be my girlfriend again. I knew I didn't have the right to ask her, because let's be honest, I didn't deserve her – not after the way I'd hurt her time and again – but she was all I wanted. All I needed.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

My head snapped up, startled by Ivan's loud voice. He gave me an expectant look, his eyebrow arched, and I shrugged helplessly.

"I said I'd like to see her in person," he said. "I want to see if she's as pretty as she looks in that picture of yours."

"She isn't just pretty," I said defensively. "She's beautiful."

"So you keep saying." Ivan jumped up from the couch and grinned. "When do I meet her?"

* * *

 _How long do you think it will it take for Dimitri to find out the truth about his sister? What's your first impression of Ivan? He seems really persistent to meet Rose. Is that a good idea? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the reviews! :)_

 _There might've been some confusion last week, which is entirely my fault. I accidentally updated Safe Haven by uploading chapter 5 of this story over there. So for those of you who got a notificiation, I'm really sorry. I was distracted whilst uploading, I guess that's why I didn't notice. Woops!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **DPOV**

After two full days of not seeing Rose, I could no longer take it. I texted her if it was alright if I could come over. I wasn't sure if she would respond – maybe she needed more time to process what had happened on Saturday night – but her reply was fast. _You can pick me up from work in an hour._

She sent me a second text with the address. With a smile, I put my phone away and told Ivan I was leaving. During one of his last visits, Christian had mentioned that Rose was working at Mia's flower shop. I'd been surprised to hear that because I'd figured she'd gone to college and had found a job she absolutely loved. But according to Christian, she'd never even considered going to college, which was a surprise as well, considering she'd talked often of the both of us going to college – that was before everything happened, of course. But I'd always thought she'd still go, even if I was not there with her.

On my way over, I bought her a latte, knowing she would appreciate that. When I finally arrived at the shop, Mia was ringing up a costumer. She looked up when I entered and her mouth fell open in surprise. Quickly, she gave the man across from her his change and hurried over to me.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, gasping. "Am I dreaming? Is that _you_ , Dimitri?"

I offered her a smile. "Hello, Mia."

"Oh my God, it _is_ you!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "Holy shit! Rose," she started calling. "Rose, guess who's back?!"

I wanted to tell Mia that Rose already knew I was out of prison, but she was shouting so loud she wouldn't hear me even if I tried. Aside from Mama, Mia showed the most enthusiasm that I was finally released from prison.

A door behind the counter opened and Rose appeared. "Stop shouting, Mia!" she shouted. "I heard you the first time."

Mia bounded over to Rose, grabbing her arm. "Look who's here!"

Rose looked up at me and gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I had no idea she'd be like this, I swear."

Mia looked from Rose to me, then back to Rose, all confused. "Huh?"

"I texted him to pick me up here," Rose told her.

Mia's face fell. "Wait, you knew he's out?"

Rose nodded.

"This isn't the first time you've seen him since he got out?" Mia asked, disappointed.

Rose shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Damn," Mia muttered. "And I thought I'd be witnessing a happy reunion."

Maybe it was for the best she hadn't witnessed our reunion, because there'd been nothing happy about it. That is, until Rose had started kissing me.

Mia's disappointment made way for excitement again. "Oh, I've got to call Mason! He _has_ to hear this." She turned to look at me. "Who knows? Are we the only ones?"

"Don't start calling everyone now, Mia," Rose complained. "It's Dimitri's choice who he wants to tell and who not."

Mia nodded solemnly. "Right. I'm sorry." She paused. "Can I still call Mason?"

Rose rolled her eyes and walked over to me. "Let's go. Oh, is that coffee?"

I smiled. "I bought it for you."

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree and she quickly grabbed it from my hands to take a sip. "Thanks!" Glancing back at her friend, she said, "Bye, Mia! See ya tomorrow!"

"So where do you want to go?" I asked when we were out on the street.

"I thought maybe we could grab dinner somewhere? I don't have any food at home." She frowned. "I should really do some shopping."

I chuckled. "How about we go do some shopping and then cook at your place?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You just want to go back to my apartment in the hopes of getting inside of my pants again, huh?" I started to protest, wanting to tell her that that wasn't my intention at all, but she interrupted, "Well, let me tell you now… It's not going to happen."

She had a playful look in her eyes, which relieved me. If she believed I only wanted to go back to her apartment to get laid, I was never going to win her back. But thankfully, she was only joking.

"We'll see about that," I joked back.

I was glad that we were able to banter like this, the way we used to do. It gave me hope for our future. I realized I still had a long way to go before I was forgiven, though. But I didn't care how long it took or what I had to do to get there – as long as she forgave me for my mistakes in the end, I'd be a happy man.

After doing some grocery shopping, we returned to her apartment and set to work. While Rose cooked the chicken, I busied myself with the potatoes.

"Hmm, this says we have to add the tomatoes and asparagus to the baking sheet with the potatoes," she mused as she stared down at her phone. "We have to bake it all." She looked up at me with a frown. "You know, it looks really good on the picture, but this sounds weird."

I laughed softly. "You don't cook often, do you?"

She shrugged. "Of course not. I'm not going to cook for one person. Even though I eat for two most of the time," she added, thoughtful, as she rubbed her stomach.

That only made me laugh harder. "It seems like some things never change. Thank God for that."

She smiled back before looking down at her phone again to read the instructions.

"So if you don't cook for yourself," I said, stepping closer to her, "then what do you do? Do you eat takeout every day?"

She shook her head. "Nah. Usually, I eat at Lissa and Christian's place. But, as you've probably heard, they moved back to Columbia Falls a few weeks ago."

I nodded. Christian had told me on his last visit. He'd said that they were going to start a family soon after they'd gotten married and a big city like Helena wasn't what they wanted for their kids. So they'd decided to return home. I was happy for them, and I could see Rose was happy for them as well, but I knew she must miss Lissa terribly.

"Have you been back to Columbia Falls since...?" I asked carefully.

Rose shook her head. "Just once. To visit my parents."

"Don't you miss it?"

She snorted. "No. Too many bad things have happened there."

I bit my lip, realizing I shouldn't have brought this up. It was ruining the nice and easy banter between us. If I didn't come up with something else soon, this night would turn out a lot different than I'd hoped it would.

Before I could say something, though, Rose continued, "I'll have to go back there in a few months, however. Seeing as Lissa is going to marry Christian there."

"I figure you are her bridesmaid?"

She gave me a small smile. "Yep. That's me."

"Just you?"

Her smile widened. "Yes." Then she frowned. "I kind of wish Cristian would tell me who his best man is, but he refuses every time I ask. I just want to know who I'm up against, you know?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Up against?"

"You know what I mean! I have to walk down the aisle next to that dude. What if I don't like him?"

I hid my smile. "Oh, I think you'll like him. Maybe not so much at the moment, but hopefully by then…"

She stared at me, her mouth agape. "Are you his best man?" she exclaimed.

I nodded slowly, gauging her reaction. She didn't seem pissed off, only astonished. "W-what?" she spluttered. "But they couldn't have known you'd be out in time for the wedding."

"They did. I told Christian last time he came to visit me," I answered. "That's when he asked me to be his best man."

"Oh my God," Rose gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this! So if I'd refused to see you when you showed up at my door last Saturday, they would've find a way for you to see me anyway – even if it's months later. And because it's in public, they know I wouldn't make a scene!" She almost looked outraged. "They did this on purpose."

I looked at her, amused. "I don't think that was on their minds at all, Rose. They've got a lot of work before their wedding happens. I'm pretty sure getting us together isn't on the top of their list of things to do right now."

"But Lissa gave you my address," Rose argued.

"I asked for your address. _I_ wanted to see you." I sighed. "Look, if it's a problem then I'll ask Christian if he can choose someone else to be his-"

"No, it's fine," Rose cut me off, waving her hand dismissively. "If it's really you, it means I'll at least walk next to someone who is good-looking." I arched an eyebrow and she shrugged unapologetically. "What? You know I think you're good-looking. Jeez, it's no secret," she added, rolling her eyes. "But the least Lissa could've done was give me a heads-up."

The oven chimed and we both looked up, startled. Rose quickly pulled out the vegetables while I set the table, all the while wondering if I'd upset Rose somehow. Should I've told Christian no when he asked me to be his best man? I'd known Rose would be bridesmaid and it's true that if she'd sent me away last Saturday she'd still have to face me on their wedding day, but I didn't want her to think that it had been a setup. I was sure Lissa had meant to tell Rose. Maybe she'd just forgotten or wanted to tell her in person. I didn't know.

We ate in silence, each of us lost in thought. I kept glancing up at her, trying to figure out how she was feeling right now, but her expression gave nothing away. At last I couldn't bear the silence anymore and I said, sighing, "I'm sorry, okay? Maybe I should've told you sooner that I was going to be at the wedding, but honestly…there hasn't been an opportunity until now. But I'm sorry. I never meant to upset you and I'm pretty sure Lissa didn't mean to upset you either. She probably figured we would work it out by then."

 _Which I'm hoping for as well._ I would really like for us to go as a couple, though I wasn't going to tell her that because I didn't want to pressure her.

"Stop apologizing, Dimitri," Rose said. "I'm not mad. I'm not upset."

I looked at her, uncertain.

"I told you before, it's _fine_ ," she continued, emphasizing the last word. "I just wish I'd known on beforehand, you know. But I guess Liss wanted it to be a surprise." She stabbed at a tomato, popped it into her mouth and looked up at me with a smile. "This is actually really good, don't you agree?"

I smiled back, relieved. "Yeah."

"We make a pretty good team," Rose said, sounding surprised. "Maybe I should let you come over more often for dinner."

"I'd like that very much," I answered, hoping I didn't sound too eager.

When we'd finished, I cleared the table and helped Rose with the dishes. I was surprised she didn't send me home afterward. Instead, she let me hang out with her for another while. We settled down on her couch with some wine and chips – because Rose apparently hadn't had enough with dinner.

"So what's new?" Rose asked with a grin. "Are you getting used to your newfound freedom?"

"I actually found a job today," I told her, smiling proudly. It had taken two whole days to find someone who was willing to hire me, but hey…I did it! It wasn't my dream job, but I guess I should be lucky to have a job at all. Not many people were looking to hire an ex-convict.

"Oh, tell me," she said, seeming excited for me.

"It's nothing special." Rose raised an eyebrow at me, looking expectant. "There's a restaurant a few blocks away from my home. They were looking for a waiter so…" I shrugged. "It was urgent and seeing as I have experience in waiting tables…"

"Dimitri, you can do so much more than that! You're smart," Rose said, frowning now. "You've only been out for a couple of days. You still have time to decide what you want to do. Hell, you could go to college! I mean it, you're way too smart to be a waiter the rest of your life."

"Rose," I said quietly, "I might have a high school diploma, but there's no school eager to accept my application. One look at my record and that's all it takes for them to say no. This is the best thing I'm going to find."

"You've only looked for two days," she argued. "Maybe something pops up and-"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

She fell silent at that. "Well…" she said after a few moments. "Maybe you _should_ consider going to college. For real. Just give it a try. That doesn't hurt anyone, right?"

I cut her a look. "You're one to talk. You never went to college either." I paused, studying her face. "Why not?"

Rose averted her eyes. "I didn't want to."

"I don't buy that."

She finally looked up at me, glaring. To my surprise, there were tears in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it!"

I realized I was pushing my luck right now, but I felt like she wasn't being honest as to why she didn't go to college.

"Rose?" I asked, a little hesitant. "Why didn't you go?"

Blinking her tears away, she let out a heavy sigh and muttered, "I barely managed to graduate high school. So why would I even bother with college?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"My memory sucks, Dimitri," she said, frustrated. "I've _tried_ , but after the accident… It's not the same anymore." My heart dropped as I looked at her struggling to find the right words. "I almost didn't graduate high school because of it. I worked so hard and I barely made it. I'm not going to put myself through that again. It's not worth it."

I felt saddened that this was the reason she never got to go to college. She _wanted_ to, but her memory had failed her. _I_ had failed her. Because, ultimately, if I hadn't taken her to that lake house, the accident would've never happened. If I hadn't provoked my father, the accident would've never happened. _He_ would've left Rose alone if she'd never met me. She would've been just fine if we'd never bumped into each other at school. It all came down to me.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," I whispered, stricken.

"Don't you dare apologize, Dimitri," she said brusquely. "Don't you dare say it's your fault. You know it isn't your fault. _I_ know it isn't your fault."

I looked down. "I wish there was something I could do to make it better for you, Rose."

Her voice softened. "I don't need you to make things better for me, Dimitri. I'm content with my life as it is."

I looked up again. "Are you, really?"

She furrowed her brows, seeming confused.

I hesitated for a brief moment, but then asked, "Why do you part your hair differently now? Is it because you're trying to hide your scar?"

"No, that's crazy," Rose said quickly as she touched her left temple absentmindedly. "I don't… I'm not… That doesn't mean anything," she stuttered, shaking her head.

"Rose…" I said softly, hooking my finger under her chin so she would look me in the eye.

She blinked at me, then blushed, but she didn't pull away. "I…" She paused as she looked at me, flustered. "I guess I don't want people to ask questions. They used to stare at me and I knew they were wondering how I got that scar. I didn't like them looking at me like that and I didn't like the questions they asked. It's none of their business."

Gently, I brushed her hair away and tucked it behind her ear, revealing part of the scar that ran down her left temple. "Roza, you know you're still just as beautiful as the day I met you, right? That scar doesn't change anything."

Her cheeks reddened even more. "You're making it really hard for me to hate you when you say things like that," she muttered, smiling reluctantly.

"Then don't hate me," I said in a teasing voice, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. I paused, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "Do you still… hate me?"

Her smile turned wry. "We both know I never really hated you, Dimitri." My hand was still resting against her cheek and she leaned into it, covering my hand with hers and lacing our fingers together. "No matter how hard I tried, I could never hate you. I just can't." She bit down on her lower lip, averting her eyes again. "I'm not hiding the scar because I feel embarrassed. I hide it because I don't want to be reminded of the accident every day. I don't want to be reminded of all I've lost."

She looked up at me at that last part and I realized she was talking about me.

"Roza, you didn't lose me," I said urgently. "I'm right here."

"Yes, you're here," she murmured softly, letting go of my hand. "Now."

She said it as if she thought I was going to leave again – leave _her_ again.

"And I'll be here tomorrow," I told her earnestly, holding her face in both my hands now. "And I'll still be here next week, next month, next year… I'm not going anywhere, Roza. Not until you tell me to leave." I took a deep breath. "If you want me to leave, then I'll respect your wishes."

Rose closed her eyes and sighed. I feared that this was the moment she was going to let me go and I already regretted that I told her I would leave her alone if that was what she wanted. But I'd meant it. If she really didn't want to see me anymore, if this was too hard for her, then I'd disappear from her life. I'd tell Christian to choose someone else to be his best man because I didn't want to cause Rose any more pain.

"I don't want you to leave," she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes again and looked at me. "But I'm not ready to forgive you yet. I'm sorry."

Even though I felt crushed, I knew I didn't deserve to be forgiven – not yet. "That's okay. You need more time and I understand that. Besides, I still have a lot to make up for," I answered softly. "I'm just glad you're letting me back into your life."

Rose looked at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. She was about to say something when her phone chimed all of a sudden. Startled, she pulled away from my grasp and reached for her phone on the coffee table. I saw Andre's name flash on her screen before she quickly turned her phone away. Her eyes widened briefly before she sent him a reply and stuffed her phone inside her jeans pocket.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

She glanced up at me, nervous, and faked a smile. "Sure."

I cut her a look. "Rose, I can see something's up. What did Andre text you?"

"Y-you saw?" she stammered.

I shrugged apologetically. "Only his name. I didn't mean to look."

"I know you didn't," she muttered, looking down at her lap.

"Is there something wrong with my sister?" I asked, getting worried now. Why wouldn't she look at me? Why was she suddenly so jittery?

"No," she squeaked.

"Rose?"

At last she glanced back up. When she saw the look on my face, she sighed. "Have you spoken to Viktoria since you got back?"

"Yes, I have." I frowned. "But she was acting all weird." I'd actually been meaning to ask Rose, but had forgotten until now. "She said she was sick – a cold or something – but she had a nosebleed and she was so agitated. I didn't stay long. I tried calling her yesterday, but she didn't pick up her phone."

Rose let out another sigh. "She doesn't have a cold, Dimitri."

"Okay," I said slowly. "Why would Viktoria lie about having a cold?"

"I think you should have a talk with her," she responded grimly.

"Should I be worried?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, you should. But I think she should be the one to tell you."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Rose, what's going on?"

She looked at me with sympathy and my heart starting beating faster. What the hell was going on? What didn't I know? _Just tell me already, Rose!_

"Viktoria isn't doing well," Rose said at last. "She hasn't been well in a long time and I think you're the only one who can help her now."

* * *

 _So what do you think of Rose and Dimitri's talk? Do you think Rose is going to tell Dimitri about his sister now? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a great day/evening! :)_

 ** _please read:_** _I won't be able to update next week because I'll be busy studying for my exams. I've been sick all week so I haven't been able to do much these past few days so I've got to make up for that next week. The next update will be in two weeks. I hope you can understand, and I'm sorry._


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello, I'm back again with a new chapter! Thanks for the well wishes and the good lucks! Also many thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **DPOV**

To say that I was confused was an understatement, but when I asked Rose for an explanation, she only told me that I'd see for myself as soon as we found Viktoria. I wondered what she meant, but I knew better than to ask. She wasn't going to tell me anything. According to her, I needed to hear it from my sister. But what could there be that was so bad that Rose couldn't tell me herself?

Seeing as neither of us owned a car, Rose called a cab to pick us up from her home. She had a look of determination on her face as we waited downstairs. I paced the floor as I tried Viktoria's cell. Rose told me I shouldn't bother. She wouldn't answer.

"But why?" I asked again. "What the hell is going on, Rose?"

"You'll see," Rose murmured, not looking at me.

The cab finally arrived. Rose climbed inside and gave the driver an address. I scooted in beside her, my eyes never leaving her face. She was biting her lower lip, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Where are we going?"

"A club Viktoria likes to go to," Rose answered.

"A club?" I exclaimed, stunned. "But she's underage!"

Rose gave a slight shake of her head. "That's not stopping her, Dimitri."

"But how does she get past the bouncers?" I asked, outraged.

Rose shrugged. "Honestly, I've got no idea. Maybe she has a fake ID."

I looked at her, incredulous. _What the hell is going on here?_ "Rose, you have to tell me right now what's going on. I can't take this anymore."

"Andre texted me he can't reach Viktoria. She left the apartment without telling him where she was going," Rose explained.

"Why did that make you nervous?" I asked. Finally, she looked at me and furrowed her brows, confused. "You were nervous when I asked you," I explained.

"I wanted to give her a chance to tell you on her own terms," Rose answered. "Now she'll be forced to explain her behavior."

She blew out a breath, but didn't explain further, which frustrated the hell out of me. Why was she being so cryptic? Why couldn't she just tell me what the hell was wrong with my sister?

"Andre's now searching for her at Adrian's," she continued.

 _Huh? Adrian Ivashkov?_ "What does he have to do with this?"

"I meant his bar," she corrected herself. "Sorry."

I stared at her, even more confused.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri," Rose said softly, glancing up at me again. "I would tell you, but it's better if you just speak to Viktoria. I don't want to cause problems between the two of you."

"I don't understand how you would cause problems between me and-"

"We're here!" she cut me off.

She told the cab driver to stay put before getting out. I followed her quickly as she pushed her way through the crowd lining up outside of the club. A few people shouted obscenities, but she ignored them. When we reached the door, we were stopped by two bouncers. But Rose flashed one of them a radiant smile, which he returned before stepping aside.

"Good to see you again, Rose," he said. "It's been a while."

"You too, Jared," she said with a wink before slipping inside.

I felt a flash of jealousy as I watched their exchange, but shook it off as I hurried after Rose inside the club. If the music had been loud when we'd been outside, it was deafening now that we were inside. Rose was shouting at me, but I didn't understand a word she was saying. I shrugged my shoulders helplessly and she motioned for me to follow her. I didn't know how Rose was planning to find my sister in here, but I walked closely behind her, helping her push people out of our way. They all gave us dirty looks as they let us through.

At last, Rose stopped at the restroom. She nodded at the door. I figured she needed to pee so I leaned against the wall, but then she grabbed my hand and pushed open the door.

"What the hell, Rose?" I shouted.

"Just trust me," she shouted back. I barely even heard her.

There were a few girls by the sinks, fixing their makeup. They looked up as soon as we entered and one of them screamed at the sight of a man entering the ladies' room.

"Viktoria?" Rose called, pushing open the doors of the stalls. "Where are you?"

I stood there, awkward, as the girls stared at me in outrage. I gave them an apologetic smile and inched back toward the door. Why did Rose bring me in here? Did she really think Viktoria was hiding out here?

"Hey, you," Rose suddenly said, turning towards one of the girls. It was the girl who had screamed when I'd walked in. "I recognize you. You're one of Viktoria's _friends_ , aren't you?"

The way Rose spat the word 'friends' made it sound like the girl wasn't a friend at all. She looked at Rose as if she was crazy.

"I don't know. There are a lot of Viktoria's in this city," she answered sarcastically. One of the other girls giggled, but when Rose turned her glare on her she stopped short and cleared her throat.

"Cut the crap!" Rose exclaimed angrily. "I know you recognize me as well! You've seen me often enough coming to Viktoria's rescue."

"She doesn't need rescuing," she snapped back.

"Ha! So you do recognize me," Rose said triumphantly.

The girl stayed silent.

"Tell me where Viktoria is!" Rose demanded.

"Why would I? You're only going to drag her back home," the girl responded petulantly.

Rose clenched her jaw. "I don't care if you're a girl. I'm going to knock your teeth out if-"

"Rose!" I reprimanded, shocked.

The other girls quickly left the bathroom and I stepped back further so they could pass. When the door closed again, Rose looked over at me and sighed. "Not now, Dimitri. We're trying to find your sister."

The girl's attention turned to me. " _Sister?_ I didn't know Viktoria has a brother." She looked me over, which made me feel even more uncomfortable. I really shouldn't be in here. Slowly, a small smile spread across her face. "You're actually quite handsome. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Yes, he does," Rose said to my surprise. "Now tell me where she is! I'm not asking again!"

The girl rolled her eyes. " _Fine._ She's getting our drinks. Now if you'll excuse me…. This is boring me." As she walked past me, she winked at me and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "You can ask your sister for my number. See ya around, handsome."

Rose scrunched up her nose. "Gross."

"Was that really necessary?" I asked as she started for the door as well.

"Relax, Dimitri. I didn't even touch her," Rose muttered, exasperated. "Let's get going. We need to get to Vika before that girl does."

Suppressing a sigh, I followed her lead. Slowly, we moved closer to the bar. All these people pressed up against each other – against _me_ – were making me feel claustrophobic. I couldn't wait to get out of here. But first we needed to find my sister.

At last, we made it to the bar. I immediately spotted my sister a few feet away from us. She was downing a drink while the people around her were cheering her on. I couldn't believe my eyes. My sister was _drinking_? How the hell did she manage to get a drink in her hands? She was still underage! _She shouldn't have even gotten inside this club to begin with_ , a voice inside my head whispered as I moved closer.

Just when Viktoria was about to down another drink, I pushed her friends out of the way and stepped in front of her. The glass was already against her lips, but I quickly snatched it away. She looked up, startled, and her eyes widened at the sight of me.

"D-dimitri!" she stammered, almost toppling over.

Quickly, I put the glass down on the bar and steadied her. She looked back up at me before her eyes drifted off to where Rose was standing and that's the moment she realized she was busted. Her face fell and she muttered something under her breath.

"Let's go," I said firmly, grasping her arm.

To my surprise, she jerked her arm away from me and shouted, "No!"

"Listen to your brother," Rose yelled, coming to stand beside me.

With a huff, she let me lead her out of the club, leaving her dumbfounded friends behind at the bar. I was relieved when the fresh air finally hit my face. Thankfully, the cab driver was still waiting for us. I pushed Viktoria inside the car and scooted to the middle so Rose could take a seat next to me.

Leaning forward in her seat, Viktoria glared at Rose. "I can't believe you ratted me out!"

"I didn't rat you out!" Rose snapped back. "Andre texted me he'd lost you _again_ and Dimitri happened to sit next to me. I had no choice but to take him with me! No need to worry, Vika. I'm giving you the honors to explain yourself to your brother."

Viktoria huffed again and crossed her arms. Even though I was angry at her for drinking, I wasn't going to yell at her – at least, not until we got back to Rose's apartment. The cab driver already looked uncomfortable enough; I didn't want to make this even more awkward.

On our way back, Rose called Andre to tell him that we'd found Viktoria. I might be angry at my sister, but I was even more angry at him. Wasn't he supposed to take care of her? How could he have let this happen? I realized there was way more going on than I'd thought, but neither of them had wanted to clue me in the day I visited my sister.

I'd thought Andre had been in a hurry to leave because I still frightened him, but maybe he'd just wanted to get away from me as quickly as possible because he didn't want to confront me about my sister's problems. And obviously, Viktoria wasn't going to fill me in either because she knew I'd get mad. If it hadn't been for Rose, I'd probably never found out that my sister was clubbing and drinking underage.

None of us spoke until we were up in Rose's apartment. As soon as the door was closed behind us, Viktoria turned and burst out in anger, "You have no right to do this! I'm an adult!"

"You're nineteen, Vika," I said, clenching my jaw. "Not twenty-one. You shouldn't be out clubbing and drinking! How often does this happen?" She said nothing. "What about last weekend? You weren't sick, were you? You were just hungover."

"I wasn't hungover," Viktoria snapped, her eyes wild. She sniffled, then rubbed her nose. I wondered why she kept doing that. When she was younger, she never had a tic, but now all she seemed to be doing when she was nervous was rubbing her nose. "I just like to have a good time. That's not a crime, is it?"

Viktoria could barely stand on her two feet. She took a step back and collapsed against the wall. Out of nowhere, she started giggling. I glanced back at Rose, who sat down at the table and buried her face in her hands.

"Are you serious right now?" I exclaimed, striding over to my sister.

I pulled her back to her feet and when she looked up at me with great reluctance, my eyes widened in shock. I hadn't noticed when we were in the club and neither had I noticed in the cab because it had been too dark. But I could see clearly now what was wrong with her. I knew now why she was rubbing her nose all the time, why she had nosebleeds… The white powder around her nose said enough.

"Are you snorting drugs, Viktoria?" I demanded, my voice loud and filled with anger.

She was still giggling hysterically. It wouldn't surprise me if she hadn't heard me. I shook her by the shoulders and made her look up at me again.

"Are you on drugs?"

Her laughter was cut short. Her eyes were dilated as she stared at me. A slow grin spread across her face. "So what if I am? It's just for fun."

"For _fun_?" I repeated, disgusted. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Viktoria screamed, shoving me away.

Without another word, she stormed past me and into Rose's bedroom, slamming the door shut. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. I couldn't believe this. My sister was doing drugs? Why on earth would she do that? When did she even start? I knew there'd been something wrong when I visited her, but I'd never would have thought it could be drugs.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri," Rose said softly.

I turned around and looked at her. I was at a loss for words. Rose shot me a look of pity and stood up from her chair. Slowly, she walked over to me and put her arms around me. I was so stunned I couldn't even move my arms and hug her back.

"I'm really sorry," Rose said again, her voice filled with regret. "I've been trying to make her stop, but there's nothing I can say to change her mind. Andre has tried as well, but-"

"How could he have let this happen?" I cut her off, my voice brusque. Rose pulled away from me, but she didn't flinch at the tone of my voice. "He should've taken care of her!"

"He's trying," Rose answered, "but Viktoria is…" She paused, shaking her head. "She's out of control."

I looked at her with tears in my eyes. "But how did this happen?" I asked, hearing the desperation in my own voice. "Why would she…" I was so shocked, I couldn't even finish my own sentence.

"It started after you were imprisoned," Rose explained. "She changed gradually. We all noticed something was wrong with her when it was too late. I've been busting her ever since she got here, but the last few times I didn't just catch her drinking." She looked down, unable to meet my eyes. "She's been doing coke. I don't know how many times she does it, but I've caught her a few times already. And no matter what I say, no matter what Andre says, she won't quit."

"Mama doesn't know, does she?" I asked quietly.

Rose shook her head. "I didn't want to break her heart. I thought this was just a phase, but it's only getting worse. Now I think…" She cut herself off, shaking her head again.

"What?" I asked.

She gave me a sad smile. "I think you're the only one who can help her get through this, Dimitri."

I frowned. "Why do you think I'll be able to help her? You just saw how she reacted when I asked her."

"Yeah, but she's upset. She'll listen to you – eventually." Rose took my hand and squeezed it gently. "You should convince her to go to rehab. It's for her own good."

I didn't understand why Rose couldn't get through to her. Viktoria practically worshipped her when she was a teen. Had their friendship changed so much when I'd been in prison? But after what I'd witnessed tonight, it was clear that Rose had dragged my sister more than a couple of times back home so I couldn't imagine it being Rose's fault if their friendship had changed.

"Just try to talk to her," Rose said softly. "I'll call Andre to wait a little longer before he comes to take her home."

I sighed. "I guess I could give it a try." I squeezed Rose's hand before letting it go. "Thanks, Roza."

Viktoria lay curled up on Rose's bed, sobbing. It hurt me to see her in so much pain, but she was doing this to herself. She didn't look up when I entered. Suppressing another sigh, I sat down next to her on the edge of the bed.

"Vika," I said softly, placing a hand on her back.

It took her a while before she sat up. When she finally looked up at me, her face was tear-stained. There was still coke caked around her nose. Trying to hide my revulsion, I handed her a tissue before looking away.

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I asked, "Why?"

My question only made my sister cry harder.

"Please tell me why, Viktoria," I pleaded. "I need to understand why you're doing this."

"I do it to take the pain away," she answered in a small voice, wiping at her eyes. "It makes me forget. I know it doesn't last, but for that very brief moment… I feel liberated." I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw, unable to look at her right now. "Please don't be mad, Dimka," she begged. "It's nothing serious. It's not like I'm addicted or something."

I snapped my eyes back open. "Don't be mad?" I exclaimed. "How can I not be mad? You're ruining your life, Viktoria!"

"My life is already ruined!" she shouted as her eyes filled with fresh tears.

I jumped up from the bed. "How can you say that?!" I yelled back, furious. "I understand how hard it must've been for you, but it has been hard for me as well! Or did you forget what I have done for you?"

"No, of course not!" she cried out.

"Then why are you doing this? You might think you're not addicted, but you are. You don't even realize how odd your behavior is."

"I swear I'm not addicted." She looked at me pleadingly. "It's just occasional."

"You have to stop this!" I roared, my eyes blazing. I don't think I'd ever been this furious before. How could she just toy with her life like that? After everything I'd done to make sure she had a good life!

Viktoria shook her head vehemently, her bottom lip quivering. "N-no… I need it. To stop the pain."

She could deny it all she wanted, but she was addicted. She just admitted she _needed_ the drugs.

"We're all in pain, Viktoria, but do you see any of us doing drugs?" I exclaimed in outrage. "I know you went through a lot, but so did I! I went to prison for _you_! So you could have a happy life, but instead you're _ruining_ it! I gave you a second chance at a better life and this is my thanks?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Viktoria sobbed, burying her face in her hands as she rocked back and forth on the bed. "I'll do better. I p-promise."

I was so furious and heartbroken at the same time. How could she have done this to herself? It was beyond my comprehension. Still glaring at my sister as she wept, I took a step back and leaned against the wall for support. I tore my gaze away from her and closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. I needed to calm down. Yelling wouldn't help matters.

"Please don't be mad at me, Dimka," Viktoria pleaded. "Please…"

I clasped my hands behind my neck and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh. What was I going to do now? How was I going to tell Mama? It would tear her heart into pieces. Now I started to understand why Rose hadn't wanted to tell me, why she'd wanted me to hear it from my sister first.

"I want you to go to rehab," I said, defeated.

Viktoria looked up at me, her eyes wide. Slowly, she started to shake her head. "No, you can't do this to me," she said, her voice cracking again. "No, Dimka. Please don't send me there."

"I don't know what else to do!" I told her. "This is the only option we – _you_ – have."

"No," Viktoria repeated shakily. "I – I'll stop, okay? I'll stop on my own. I can do it." She looked at me, hopeful. "I can, Dimka. I'll quit drinking so much. I'll quit doing drugs. I'll quit on my own."

"You can't, Viktoria. You're addicted."

"No!" Viktoria screeched. "Stop saying that!" I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. "I'm not going to rehab! You can't make me!"

"No, I can't make you," I muttered, sighing. "But I'm not going to watch you ruin your life either."

"You don't have to!" Viktoria screamed. "You can just leave!" She pointed toward the closed door. "You don't have to stick around! I've been doing fine on my own!"

"You're not fine!" I yelled back. "I didn't let the cops arrest me for a murder I didn't commit so you could waste away your life on drugs and alcohol! I didn't lose _everything_ that was important in my life so that you could get high! If you can't handle the pain, you should've talked to someone!"

"I can't just tell everyone about what I've done, can I?" she exclaimed. "They'll lock me up!"

"No, but you could've talked to _me_! You could've talked to Mama," I told her. "We both know what happened that night. If you'd just talked to me-"

"I've tried that!" Viktoria interrupted, "but it's not working for me."

I scowled at her. "You have not once tried to talk to Mama or me about what happened that night."

"But I have talked to Andre!"

I looked at her, astonished. "Andre?"

"Yes," Viktoria said with clenched teeth. "I told him all about it!"

"He knows?!"

She sighed. "Yes, he does. And he's been very understanding."

"A little bit too understanding," I snapped, "seeing as he lets you do drugs and drink until you're ready to pass out."

"Don't blame this on him! It's not his fault!" Viktoria snarled. "He just wants me to be happy. He loves me so much he looks past all the shit I've been doing. Of course he has tried talking me out of it, but I get so pissed at him each time he offers to help me. Honestly, I don't understand why he's still with me. I don't deserve him."

I looked at my sister, shaking my head. I didn't even recognize her anymore. This was not the girl I grew up with. This was not my sister. I turned away from her, tears stinging my eyes, and took a deep breath as I tried to figure out what to do next. There was just so much going on in my head right now and I had no idea how I was going to piece it all together.

"I'm telling Roza," I said at last, turning back around. My voice was dull. I felt beaten. "I don't care if that's not what you want. This time I'm doing what _I_ want. This is my last chance with Roza. If I want to make it work, I have to be honest with her."

"She's going to hate me," Viktoria whispered, a scared look on her face.

"Well, she has hated _me_ for six years," I responded, my voice harsh. "I didn't deserve to go to prison and I didn't deserve losing Rose in the process, but I did what had to be done. I let Rose hate me so that you could start fresh without having to lose your only friend!" And now she was throwing away her life, screwing up her friendship with Rose anyway – who was her only real friend, really. All for a fleeting moment of exhilaration.

"You didn't have to," Viktoria cried. "You didn't have to take the fall for me!"

"I protect my family, Viktoria," I said slowly, feeling numb. "I always have. But I'm done now."

I started walking to the door. Behind me, I heard Viktoria breaking down again, but I didn't turn around again.

"I'm done sacrificing myself for you."

* * *

 _Whew, what a chapter! I know most of you already guessed the truth. I've left a couple of clues in Better With You and most of them realized it pretty soon but now it's finally out in the open. Viktoria did kill their father and Dimitri took the blame. And Rose was in the next room... Could she have heard everything? Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! Have a great day/evening! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you so much for the amazing response on last chapter! I'm kinda nervous uploading this chapter. I really hope you like it! **This chapter will contain a flashback!**_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **DPOV**

When I walked out of the bedroom, I saw Rose standing in the middle of her apartment. When she looked up, I noticed her face was wet with tears. I stopped short and closed my eyes, cursing myself silently. _Of course_ she'd heard everything. We hadn't exactly been quiet.

"Is it true?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes wide. "You didn't…you didn't kill your father?"

Slowly, I shook my head. Rose stared at me in shock as more tears trickled down her cheeks and then she let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my God," she whispered, sinking down to the floor on her knees. "Oh my God."

Quickly, I walked over and crouched down beside her. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Roza. I wanted to tell you, but Viktoria needed more time…"

"Did she do it?" Rose asked, crying. "Did she really do it?"

I glanced up at her, my face full of regret, and nodded. Rose's face crumpled and she started sobbing uncontrollably. I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her tightly, telling her over and over again how sorry I was. I feared she was going to push me away and hit me for the injustice I'd done her, but instead she melted into my embrace and let me comfort her.

Suddenly, the door to Rose's bedroom opened. I looked over my shoulder and saw Viktoria standing there, looking lost.

"Get out!"

I hadn't realized Rose had heard Viktoria come out of the room as well until she was screaming at my sister. Rose pulled away from me and got back onto her feet, glaring at Viktoria.

"Get the fuck out of my apartment!"

"I'll leave," Viktoria said quietly as she hurried to the door. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at me before slipping outside. "Don't worry, I've called Andre. He'll pick me up."

As soon as the door clicked shut, Rose broke down again and I quickly slipped my arm around her waist before guiding her to the couch. I sat down beside her, still holding her and whispering meaningless apologies into her ear as I fought back my own tears. I'd hurt her so many times, but this must've been the worst pain I've ever caused her. But this time I wasn't the only person who'd hurt her. Viktoria had hurt her as well – maybe even more.

After a while, Rose's sobs quieted down and her breathing slowed. She lay still against me, her head resting on my chest. I was stroking her hair, hoping the gesture would comfort her. It seemed to do the trick and I was surprised she even allowed it. She should be raving mad at me right now, but she wasn't. At least, not yet.

"Roza, are you okay?" I asked. I realized this was the stupidest question ever to ask, but I just needed her to say something. _Anything._

She pulled back slightly so she could look up at me. Wiping at her eyes, she answered, her voice barely above a whisper, "No, I'm not." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes again. "Are you?"

I furrowed my brows, confused by her question. Why was she asking _me_ if I was okay? "Don't worry about me, Roza." I stroked her hair again and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm really sorry you had to find out like this."

Rose didn't respond. I could see she was mulling things over in her head and her eyes were filled with unasked questions. I wanted to explain myself, but I was scared that she was going to have another breakdown. Maybe I should let her be for a while and pick this up again whenever she was ready.

"It's late," I said softly. "Maybe I should go. We'll talk later."

I started to rise, unsure if I should leave her when she was this upset. Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut and waited until Rose kicked me out.

"No, wait."

Her hand reached out and she grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. I looked down at her, feeling relieved she didn't want me to leave yet. Slowly, I sat back down next to her. Her hand was still on my arm, squeezing it tightly. I didn't think she noticed.

"Tell me," she demanded, finally meeting my gaze. "Tell me what happened that night."

"Are you sure you want to hear this right now?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded. "I've been wondering for six years what the hell happened that night. I'm not going to wait any longer," she said firmly. "I want the truth. I _deserve_ to hear the truth."

"Of course you deserve to know the truth," I answered quietly. "I wish I could've told you back then." I shook my head, sighing. "I wish I'd never had to lie to you in the first place." I took her hand in mine and she glanced up at me. She looked so confused and scared. "But I need you to understand that I was trying to protect my sister."

Rose nodded again, giving me an expectant look. I took a deep breath, bracing myself. After years of keeping this secret locked inside of me, I was finally able to tell Rose what really happened the night of my father's murder. Even though I hadn't spoken about it since they found me guilty, the memories were still fresh in my mind…

 _The content smile didn't leave my face as I went home after spending the day with Rose. I was so happy she was getting better. I'd been catering to her every wish all day long – which she'd hated of course – but I hadn't minded at all. I could do this every day. Figuring Rose didn't want to be cooped up inside the house again all day, I decided to take her for a walk tomorrow. She would like that._

 _When I arrived home, the smile slipped from my face when I realized the front door was ajar. That's when I heard a scream coming from inside the house. Quickly, I dropped my bike to the ground and ran over, pushing the door further open. I stopped short when I saw what was happening, too shocked for a moment to do something. My father had his hands wrapped around my little sister's throat. She was crying and trying to pry his hands away._

" _Get the hell away from my sister!" I roared, recovering from my shock._

 _In a flash, I was on him, dragging him away from Viktoria. He was caught off guard – clearly he hadn't expected me to barge in – but recovered quickly. Viktoria slid down to the floor, begging my father to stop._

" _Just the man I was looking for," my father sneered, snapping his elbow back into my stomach. I doubled over in pain, gasping. "You see now, Viktoria? I almost strangled you for nothing. If you'd just told me he was on his way home, I wouldn't have had to hurt you." He tutted. "It's a shame. You were always my favorite."_

 _I jumped back to my feet and shoved my father against the wall, striking his jaw with my fist. His head snapped back and, to my surprise, he started laughing._

" _Is that all you've got?" he snarled, rubbing his jaw, a menacing smile playing on his lips._

" _Viktoria, call 911," I exclaimed without taking my eyes off of my father. I didn't want to fight him, but if I had to I would. He wasn't going to hurt my family again. I would pin him down and keep him there until the cops arrived. "Go!"_

 _Viktoria stumbled toward the stairs, but stopped when our father said in a threatening voice, "If you call 911, I'm going to kill your brother. You don't want that to happen, do you now?"_

 _Viktoria started sobbing, tears spilling from her eyes. "Please stop this!"_

" _Viktoria, go!" I bellowed._

 _In the brief moment I glanced away from my father to look at my sister, I received a blow to the side of my head. I blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the spots I was seeing, and lunged forward. With all my strength, I threw my body into his. Startled, he stumbled backwards and I swung my fist against his jaw twice before pinning him against the wall. Vaguely, I registered my sister scrambling up the stairs._

 _My father looked up at me and grinned. He didn't even try to shove me off of him. "Come on! What are you waiting for?" he said. "Finish the job."_

 _I gritted my teeth. "I'm not going to kill you."_

" _No? Why not? Don't I deserve it after everything I've done to you?" he taunted. "After everything I've done to your precious girlfriend? I'm surprised she pulled through. I mean, that was a horrible crash…"_

 _I narrowed my eyes at him. "It was you, wasn't it? You followed us to the lake house and tampered with the car. But that wasn't enough, huh? You wanted us to crash so you stopped your car in the middle of the road. You left us there to die!"_

 _He started laughing again. "You got me." He put his hands on my shoulders, gripping them firmly. "But hey, you survived, didn't you?"_

" _You bastard!" I growled._

 _His eyes were ice cold as he stared at me. "Don't think I wouldn't do it again." Suddenly, he broke free from my grip and pushed me away. "But next time, I'll stick around long enough to check if you really are dead." His fist connected with my jaw, forcing me to step back, before he slammed me against the opposite wall. Now the roles were reversed. His hands went to my throat and he squeezed tightly. "Maybe I'll kill you right now and deal with that pretty girl of yours later. As a consolation, I'll make sure her grave is next to yours."_

 _I struggled to free myself, all the while gasping for air. From the corner of my eye, I saw Viktoria crawling back downstairs. To my horror, she was holding the baseball bat Andre had given her. I shook my head slightly, silently telling her to go back upstairs, as I fought my way out of this situation. But she kept going. My father was too busy choking me to notice Viktoria sneaking up behind him._

" _N-no," I gasped when Viktoria lifted the bat and struck our father on his head._

 _He immediately let go of me, dazed, and stepped back. I doubled over, coughing, as I tried to catch my breath. I was about to take down my father, now that he was stunned from the blow to his head, but Viktoria didn't stop. She kept smashing the bat against his head, screaming._

" _Stop!" I choked out, still coughing._

 _But it was like she didn't hear me. With a yelp, our father dropped to the ground and Viktoria bend over him, still beating him with the bat. Even when he stopped moving and blood was gushing out of his head, she didn't stop._

" _He's dead, Vika!" I exclaimed, stepping forward. In doing so, I was almost hit myself. "He's dead! Please stop!"_

 _At last, Viktoria dropped her arms and stared down at what was left of our father's head. I glanced down at the pool of blood at her feet before turning away altogether and gasping for air. I felt sick to my stomach so I doubled over and heaved a couple of times, but nothing came up. When I looked back at my sister, she was kneeling down at his head – thank God she wasn't sitting in the pool of blood._

" _Oh my God," she said frantically. She dropped the bat and reached out with her hands, touching his head. "Oh my God! What have I done?!"_

" _Don't touch him!" I told her. She looked up, startled, her hands hovering over his head. It was too late, though. They were already covered in blood. "Don't touch him," I repeated slowly._

 _Tears started streaming down her face. "I – I killed him." She looked at me, her bottom lip quivering. "I killed him, Dimka," she sobbed. "What is going to happen to me now?"_

" _Nothing's going to happen to you," I said firmly, moving closer to her._

 _She was shaking her head vehemently. "They're going to put me away. They're going to put me in prison." Her breathing was shallow as she went into hysterics. "I killed him! I killed him!"_

" _Calm down, Vika," I said, trying not to panic._ Think, Dimitri. Think! _"You're not going to prison. I'm not going to let that happen to you." She was sobbing uncontrollably, trying and failing to catch her breath. "Listen to me, Vika." She looked at me with fear in her eyes. "You're not going to prison," I repeated slowly._

 _She obeyed and gradually her breathing slowed down. She was still shaking, though. I looked around, trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't let my sister down. I couldn't let the cops take her away. She didn't deserve to be put away in prison._

" _Get away from the body," I told her. "Your shirt is getting dirty with his blood." Slowly, she scooted away. By accident, she placed her hands in the pool of blood and started whimpering. "It's okay. Just back up a little more." When she was out of harm's way, I asked, "Did you call 911?"_

 _She nodded, silent tears running down her cheeks._

" _Okay. That's good." I started to move forward and crouched down next to the body. I shuddered when I put my knees in the puddle of blood._

" _What are you doing?" Viktoria exclaimed, her voice high-pitched._

" _I'm going to make it look like I killed him," I answered, taking the bat from the floor._

" _But my fingerprints are all over the bat," she argued._

" _Yeah, but it was your bat," I countered. "Andre gave it to you. They won't suspect you. Not now my fingerprints all over it."_

" _But why would you do that?" she cried._

" _Because I'm not going to let them arrest you for murder," I said firmly. "I'm not letting you rot away in jail, Vika."_

" _But I'm a minor," she said. "Maybe they'll send me to juvie – like you."_

" _I beat him up, but you killed him," I told her bluntly, suppressing a sigh. "I'm sorry, Vika, but I don't think juvie is an option. Besides, I'm not letting that happen to you. You're my sister."_

" _But they're going to put you away, Dimka," she wailed._

" _Viktoria, please," I said, clenching my jaw. "This is the only way. The cops already arrested me once for assault. They won't be surprised if they think I killed him. Just let them take me instead, okay?" I looked over at her, but she was looking down, rocking back and forth. "Look at me, Viktoria!" When she finally met my gaze, I said, "Promise me you won't tell them the truth. Let me handle this, okay?"_

" _Dimitri, no," she cried out, shaking her head vehemently._

" _Promise me, Vika!" I repeated._

 _She hesitated, but then nodded._

" _When the cops question you, you tell them that_ I _grabbed the bat when I saw he was hurting you. Tell them that_ I _killed him with it."_

 _Viktoria started crying again. "O-okay."_

" _When they ask why you're covered in his blood, you tell them that you checked if he was still alive," I told her. I was surprised at how calm and collected I was. "Give short answers. Look them in the eye – and don't be nervous."_

 _In the distance, I could hear the sirens. They'd be here shortly. I'd stay next to the body, with the baseball bat in my hands, so there'd be no doubt as to who did it. I was going to confess to murder right away so that they wouldn't question what had happened here tonight._

" _Now go wait outside."_

 _Viktoria did as she was told. I took a deep breath and stayed seated next to my father's body, trying not to look too much at his head. I'd never thought Viktoria would have the strength to do_ that _. I knew she hadn't intended to kill him, but she'd been overcome with so many emotions… I wished I'd been able to stop her._

 _It didn't take long for the cops to find me in the hallway, with their guns pointed at me. I dropped the bat immediately and raised my hands. One of them holstered their weapon and strode over to me, lifting me to my feet. The other police officer handcuffed me and then they both dragged me out of the house. Aside from the patrol cars, there was an ambulance parked in front of the house._ _Viktoria stood on the driveway, hugging herself tightly as she stared at me. When the cops escorted me to one of the patrol cars, I mouthed to her, "Promise me."_

 _Several neighbors were out on the street, curious to see what the commotion was all about. I ignored the horrified look on their faces when they saw me being led to the police car. Brusquely, I was pushed into the backseat. The last thing I saw was my sister being escorted to the ambulance before the officers drove me off to the police station._

Rose stared at me in shock, her hand covering her mouth. Five minutes had passed since I'd told her and she hadn't said a word. She just kept staring at me. After a while, I couldn't take it anymore and looked away. When I finally looked back up, Rose was blinking back tears. She blew out a breath and buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

"Please don't cry," I murmured, placing a hand on her back.

"How can I not cry?" she exclaimed, looking back up as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "You sacrificed yourself to save your sister! You gave up your freedom so she wouldn't have to go to prison. You let people think you're a murderer when you're not. You let _me_ think you're a murderer."

"I'm really sorry, Roza," I said earnestly, "but I didn't have a choice. I needed to protect my sister."

"Only you would be so noble to take the blame for a murder you didn't commit," Rose said, half laughing half crying. But then she stopped laughing and only started crying harder.

I was afraid that the small progress I'd made over the last couple of days was demolished, but how could I let her consider taking me back if she didn't know the whole truth? I'd _had_ to tell her. Like she'd said to me earlier, she deserved to know the truth. If I really wanted to make this work, there couldn't be any secrets between us.

"I can't believe this," Rose choked out, shaking her head. "I have been busting my ass for your sister, trying to help her. I was there for her when she needed a friend, I comforted her every time she was feeling sad that you were in jail… But it was _her_. _She_ killed him. And she never even tried to tell me the truth! She let me think it was you this whole time."

"I told her not to tell anyone," I explained. _But I guess she made an exception for Andre_ , I thought darkly.

"Why couldn't she tell me? Why couldn't _you_ tell me?" Rose exclaimed in outrage. "Didn't you trust me?"

"Of course I trusted you," I said firmly, grabbing her hand. "I trust you, Rose. But I couldn't risk someone overhearing-"

"What about your mom?" she interrupted, pulling her hand away from mine. "You told her." She looked at me accusingly, then sighed. "Never mind. That was a stupid question. It's your _mom_. Of course you'd tell her."

"Roza, I wish I could have told you," I said. I reached out for her hand again and this time she didn't pull away. "But I needed to keep my sister safe. She wouldn't have survived prison. I mean, look at her now! She drinks and snorts drugs to drown out the pain. She would've gone crazy if they'd locked her up."

"Are you defending her now?!"

"No, I'm not defending her," I answered quickly. "I'm pissed at her for doing this, for wrecking her life when I've given her a second chance, but she's still my sister. I can't give up on her." I was still holding onto her hand. I could feel her start to pull away again, but I refused to let go. "Roza, please, you do understand that everything I've done was to protect my sister, right? I never wanted to keep secrets from you, but I had no choice."

Rose pursed her lips together, anger flashing in her eyes, but then, all of a sudden, the anger dissipated from her face. She just looked exhausted now.

"I know," she whispered at last, looking down. "You'd do _anything_ to protect your family – I knew that when I started dating you and I admire that – but you confessed to a murder you didn't commit and went to jail for Viktoria and instead of being grateful she throws away her life." She clenched her jaw, her hand tightening in mine. "It makes me so angry." With a shake of her head, she muttered, "I thought you'd be able to help her, but I'm afraid no one can help her now. After everything you have done for her, she won't even listen to you. She owes you, but she doesn't care. But if she won't listen to you, then who will she listen to?"

"I'll make her listen," I told her determinedly. "One way or another, she's going to rehab."

Rose nodded, then let out a heavy sigh. "I don't want to think about this any longer. I have to go to work tomorrow so I think I should go to bed now."

I glanced down at my watch and my eyes widened when I saw it was already two in the morning. This really had been a long night. Tomorrow would be my first day to work; I wasn't really off to a great start if I walked in exhausted.

"Of course," I said, reluctantly letting go of her hand and getting to my feet. "I'm really sorry for ruining your night."

" _You_ didn't ruin it," she mumbled, getting up as well.

"Still, I'm sorry," I murmured, starting for the door. "I'd rather have told you the truth under better circumstances."

"Wait," Rose suddenly called out. She moved back in front of me and I arched an eyebrow as I waited for her to say something. She hesitated, but then finally said, "It's really late and I'm guessing you start work tomorrow so why don't you stay here tonight?"

I was surprised by her proposal, but I couldn't deny that it made my heart flutter with hope. "Are you sure?"

She bit down on her lip, then nodded. "Yeah, sure. You can sleep on the couch." She glanced at the couch and frowned. "Never mind, that's too small for you."

"It's okay, Rose. I'll walk home. It's not a-"

"I guess you can sleep in my bed," she interrupted. She looked at me and shrugged. "I'll take the couch."

"Rose, I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed."

"Fine!" Rose exclaimed, exasperated. "Then we'll both sleep in my bed! It's not like this is the first time we'll sleep together." She frowned again at her choice of words. "I mean, actual _sleep_ ," she added quickly.

I smiled reluctantly. "I know."

"Well then," Rose said, seeming annoyed. "Get, into bed before I change my mind."

My smile widened as I walked over to her bedroom. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that she hadn't moved from her spot. She seemed a little bit flustered all of a sudden, but I decided it was best not to comment on that. Instead, I said, "Are you coming, Roza?"

* * *

 _Another chapter filled with angst! So how do you feel about Dimitri now? And Viktoria? Poor Rose. She can't catch a break! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites and follows! Because I'll be occupied all weekend I'm updating early! I think you guys deserve it after the amazing response I've had to the last few chapters! Thanks again! Let's hope you like this chapter just as much! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **RPOV**

I lay awake most of the night, looking at Dimitri's sleeping form. His back was to me, which was a perfect opportunity to stare at his back muscles, but unfortunately for me I had more to think about than how ripped he was.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. I was too angry, too wound up, to crazy thing was, I wasn't angry at Dimitri. The only person I was angry at right now was Viktoria. How could she just throw away her second chance at a decent life after everything Dimitri had done for her? He didn't deserve this, and he sure as hell didn't deserve the six years he'd spent behind bars.

I could understand why Dimitri had wanted to take his sister's place – okay, it was hard to fathom – but I understood where Dimitri was coming from. All his life he'd been protecting his family from his father. The only solution in his eyes, after Viktoria had killed their father, was for him to take the blame. So he could keep her safe.

But instead of being thankful to her brother, she was wasting away her life with booze and drugs. I realized she was doing all that shit to forget about what she'd done – as she'd confessed to Dimitri. It'd been hard to shut out their loud voices so of course I'd heard pretty much everything. But the booze and the coke weren't going to make things better. It wasn't going to change the fact that she'd killed her father. She would have to learn to live with that somehow. I knew that was easy for me to say, but Dimitri had sacrificed so much for his sister so the least she could do was give life a try. She owed that to him.

When morning finally came, I quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom to take a shower. I let the cold water splash my face, hoping it would give me a burst of energy. But no, I was still exhausted from the lack of sleep. I would need _a lot_ of coffee to get through today.

"Good morning."

I set my mug onto the table and looked up at Dimitri, who was standing half-naked in my apartment for the second time in only a matter of days. What the hell was I doing? I'd sworn up and down to everyone that I'd never take Dimitri back, but here he was… I'd let him stay the night _again_. But at least I hadn't had sex with him _this_ time so hooray for me, I guess. Though I couldn't promise myself that it wasn't going to happen sometime in the near future. Because no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to resist Dimitri much longer.

Besides, I'd said I'd give him another chance to make this work between us, and I _wanted_ to, but I was also scared that I'd get hurt again. I appreciated that he wasn't pressuring me; he let me take the decisions. For example, last night I asked him to stay instead of the other way around. He never made the suggestion. He didn't even suggest he should sleep in my bed; _I_ did that.

"Good morning," I returned, the tiniest of smiles covering my face. "I placed fresh towels for you in the bathroom. I'm guessing you want a shower before you go to work. Make a good impression on your first day." I looked him over. If his boss was a woman, it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Thanks," he answered, returning my smile. He went back into the bedroom to gather his clothes before making his way to the bathroom. As he was about to go in, I jumped up from my seat at the kitchen table.

"Wait!" I called.

He stopped, giving me a questioning look. I hesitated for a moment, but then stepped towards him anyway. I shouldn't be overthinking things so often – not with him.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist. Dimitri looked caught off guard so I hugged him tighter, resting my head against his bare chest. "You're a good person and you deserve better. I hope you know that."

Dimitri looked down at me, a sad smile crossing his face. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me as well and kissed the top of my head. "Thank you, Roza."

I had to admit that it felt really good to have his arms wrapped around me again, like he used to do when we were younger. I'd missed this. I'd missed _him_. Oh, how much I wished we could be like we used to be again… But we could, I realized. I only had to say the word and everything would go back to normal. We could be together again.

"I'd also like to apologize for the way I behaved when you first showed up at my door," I said softly, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I tilted my head a little so I could look him in the eyes.

"No need to apologize," Dimitri said ruefully. "You had every right to be angry at me. I made promises I couldn't keep at the time and it only ended in broken hearts, for which I can't apologize enough."

I shook my head. Looking back up at him, I slid my arms up from his waist and rested my hands on either side of his face. "I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few hours – don't ask," I added when he started to frown, looking confused. I let out a sigh and continued, "Though it hurts you waited so long to tell me the truth, I _understand_ why you did it. And…I'm beginning to understand why you felt like you had to break up with me. I know that everything you have done, you've done out of love for your family and…me."

He nodded, but for some reason he looked miserable. "Yes. But somehow the person I love the most is also the one who gets hurt the most in the process. And I don't mean for that to happen – I really don't," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're the last person I want to hurt, but I'm an idiot who makes the same mistakes over and over again and I'm sorry." He gave me a sheepish smile. "I guess I still have a lot to learn."

"We can learn from this together," I told him, leaning in a little bit closer.

Dimitri looked at me with hope and longing in his eyes. "Roza," he breathed. "I just want you to know… All that talk about wanting to kill my father when you were in the hospital, I was angry and afraid, but I would've never jeopardized our relationship like that," he admitted, desperation clear in his eyes. "That night when I found him at the house… We were fighting, yes, but I was never going to kill him. I just wanted to hold him down until the cops arrived so they could see for themselves that he was dangerous because I knew that if I killed him I wouldn't get to be with you, but then my sister came back downstairs and…" He choked on his words and shook his head, closing his eyes. "I never wanted it to happen. I just wanted him locked up in prison."

"I know," I whispered, running my hand through his hair. I smiled teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. "You might not look the part, but you're too much of a softie for that."

"Only you would say that," Dimitri answered, a reluctant smile spreading across his face.

"But it's the truth," I shot back. "No one knows you like I do."

He nodded, his smile widening. "That is true."

My eyes flicked down to his lips. I felt the urge to kiss him, but if I did that neither of us was going to make it to work in time. So reluctantly, I pulled away from him.

"I should probably let you get ready," I mumbled. "I don't want you to be late on your first day of work."

A look of disappointment crossed Dimitri's face, but he shook it off so quickly I was wondering if I'd only imagined it. With one last rueful smile, he disappeared inside the bathroom. Closing my eyes, I exhaled slowly before walking back to the table to finish my breakfast.

When Dimitri emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, fully clothed and his hair tied back into a ponytail, I was already at the front door, holding out a paper bag for him.

"I packed some bagels for you," I told him as he accepted the bag from me with a surprised look on his face. "What? Don't look like that! I know you're in a rush to get to work, but I can't let you start your first day on an empty stomach."

Dimitri smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling. "Thank you, Roza. You're a godsend."

I smiled widely, feeling very satisfied with myself. After locking the door, we rode the elevator together down to the ground floor. As I stepped out of the building, I glanced up at him to say goodbye, knowing this was where we'd part. But I hesitated for a moment, coming to a standstill, and he noticed.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded, smiling. "I'm fine, comrade."

The word slipped out of my mouth before I realized it and, strangely, it felt _right_. I hadn't spoken the nickname in years, but I hadn't forgotten about it. Since the moment Dimitri had showed up at my door, I'd sometimes had to bite my tongue to keep myself from calling him _comrade_. I'd been too pissed at him to even want to call him by my old nickname for him, but I no longer felt angry at him for the way he'd hurt me in the past.

Being angry all the time, I realized, was exhausting. It wasn't getting me anywhere. It only left me frustrated and bitter. It's what I'd been for years, and I was tired of it. But forgiveness… That could lead to many better things.

Dimitri's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at me. I saw the hope from earlier return to his eyes. "Did you just…?"

I shrugged, trying to act casual. "Yeah. So what? I used to call you that all the time. _Comrade_."

He was stunned into silence, still staring at me, unblinking. I stared right back, not sure what to say either seeing as the casual approach wasn't working. My eyes dropped to his lips again as a thought started to form inside my head. _Ha, that'll snap him out of this state pretty quickly._

Stepping forward, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his for a brief moment. Before he could even react, I'd already taken several steps back. He blinked a couple of times, a look of wonderment crossing his face.

"Catch you later, comrade."

A slow grin spread across my face as I turned around and hurried down the street. Maybe it was wrong of me to tease him like that, but I thought I was entitled to _some_ payback. Let him mull this over all day at work. I hoped he didn't stop thinking about that kiss until he saw me again and I hoped it was torture for him.

"Wow, look at you," Mia commented, raising her eyebrow at me, as I walked into the flower shop. "So happy."

I frowned. "Am I not always happy?"

She grinned at me. "Not like this." Her grin turned into a mischievous smile. "Does Dimitri have anything to do with it?"

I bit down on my lip to hide my smile. "Let's not talk about Dimitri right now. We've got work to do. Have you made any progress on the centerpieces for Lissa's wedding?"

Mia looked up at me, excited. "Now that you mention it…"

She started rambling about all the ideas she'd thought up since Lissa had appointed her to be the wedding florist. I nodded along, although I didn't know what she was talking about half the time. I might've been working here for a while, but I still couldn't name every flower Mia had in her shop. I was starting to wonder why she'd even hired me if I knew so little about flowers.

As the day progressed, my mind started to drift back to Dimitri. I hoped his first day at work was going alright and I hoped no one was discriminating him because he was an ex-convict. Was he even obliged to tell his boss? I figured it was probably one of the first things he'd had to say when they'd interviewed him. _And he didn't even commit a crime,_ I thought bitterly. _They're going to judge him for something he didn't do. Thanks to his sister._

After the workday was done, I swung by the grocery store before going home. I wasn't sure if I'd be seeing Dimitri again today, but I wanted to be prepared and have some food in my fridge in case he did come by. I checked my phone, but I'd received no texts from him so far. _Stop being so pathetic, Rose,_ I scolded myself. I couldn't believe myself right now.

I'd vowed to myself to never ever speak of Dimitri again in my life – right up until the moment he appeared at my door a few days ago. And even when he'd begged for my forgiveness, I'd been pissed as hell at him, swearing I'd never take him back. But only a few days later, he was the only thing on my mind. I swear to God, I was addicted to this man. Just one peek at him after a lifetime of being apart from him was enough to keep coming back for more.

I was so weak when it came to him. This morning I couldn't even stop myself from kissing him, but I had no idea what I was going to do or say when I saw him next. How was I going to explain myself to him? I was in desperate need of some advice and there was only one person I could go to for that.

Pulling out my phone, I messaged Lissa we needed to talk and then fired up my laptop, installing myself on the couch as I drummed my fingers impatiently against the keyboard while I waited for Skype to launch.

"Hi!" Lissa's voice chirped fifteen minutes later as her face filled up my screen. "I've missed you so much, Rose!"

I smiled despite the fact I was annoyed that she'd taken her sweet time to video chat with me. But to her credit, she might still be renovating the house she and Christian had recently bought. "I missed you too, Liss. How's everything going over there?"

"It's going great," she answered, excitement written all over her face. "We still have a lot of work to do, but Christian is being a great help – and my parents as well."

"That's good to hear."

"You should visit soon!" Lissa exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It'll be so much fun!"

"I will," I promised, "but, umm…"

The smile disappeared from Lissa's face and she looked at me with concern. "Is everything okay, Rose?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered hastily, not wanting her to worry. "There's just something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Tell me," she prompted.

"Well, as you know, Dimitri is out of prison." Her eyes widened, as if she was surprised, but I cut her a look. "Don't pretend like you don't know! _You_ gave him my address." I shook my head vehemently when she tried a different tactic. " _No._ Don't give me that innocent look. You knew perfectly well what you were doing."

Lissa started grinning, still looking at me with that innocence in her eyes. "Busted."

I glared at her. "It's not funny. I don't appreciate you giving my address to Dimitri behind my back. You knew I never wanted to see him again."

She shrugged in response. "I know you _said_ that, but I don't think you meant it."

"It doesn't matter," I said brusquely. "You didn't have the right."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" she said, looking contrite. "I just thought that, once you got over your initial anger, you might be happy to see him again."

I looked at her, then sighed heavily. "I know you meant well," I admitted begrudgingly.

She gave me a tentative smile. "So… I'm guessing Dimitri is what you'd like to talk about."

I nodded. Suppressing another sigh, I launched into my story. I started with the moment he showed up at my front door and I didn't leave anything out of that night – or the following days. The only thing I left out was Dimitri and Viktoria's secret. Even though that was the part that had devastated me the most, I knew that Dimitri only wanted _me_ to know the truth of what had happened that horrible night his father got murdered.

"This is really confusing," Lissa commented when I finished my story.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I know."

"But it doesn't have to be," she added. When I looked up at her, she was smiling. "I know you still love him." I said nothing because denying it would be stupid. "Sure, he's made some mistakes, but don't you think you should give him a second chance?"

"I already gave him a second chance the first time he broke up with me," I muttered.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Give him a third chance, then. Third time's a charm," she added in a teasing voice. "You've already allowed him in your bed more than once and you kissed him this morning." I scowled at her and she cleared her throat. "Besides, you told him you would give him a chance to make things right." She smiled again. "I know you want to."

I nodded. "I do, but I'm scared I'm going to get hurt again."

"Honey," Lissa said, looking at me with sympathy, "he broke up with you because of his dad, not because he stopped loving you. Now that Kazimir is gone and Dimitri is a free man again, there's nothing going to stop him from being with you. He worships you, Rose. He always has."

I blushed at her last comment.

"The few times I went with Christian to visit him, he was a real mess," she said after a pause, her voice softer. "He was always asking about you. He needed to know you were okay."

"Alright, I think I got the message," I sighed. I gave her a wry smile. "Remember the time when you warned me to stay the hell away from him?"

"That was before I knew him," she answered with an unapologetic shrug. "Now that I do know him I'm telling you to go for it."

I chuckled. "Okay, I'll keep your advice in mind."

"Please keep me posted," she said. Suddenly her face brightened. "Oh! Bring him along when you visit! Then we can talk wedding stuff! Seeing as you're my bridesmaid and he's Christian's best man."

"Yeah, another nice surprise I got from you," I scoffed. "When were you going to tell me?"

She started grinning again. It was clear that she had no regrets whatsoever. "Now?"

I rolled my eyes. "Talk to you later, Liss. Say hi to Christian for me."

After saying my goodbyes to Liss, I shut my laptop and glanced at my phone. Still no messages from Dimitri. Maybe he was still stuck at work _. Well, there's still one thing that you need to do_ , a voice inside my head whispered. Aside from having Dimitri on my mind all day, there was one thought I couldn't get rid of. _How's Viktoria doing right now?_

I knew I probably shouldn't care after what went down last night and even though I was furious at her, she was still my friend. I wanted to know she was okay and, honestly, I needed a few of my questions answered.

Locking up behind me, I left my apartment building. If I ran, I could catch the next bus. I quickened my step until I was practically jogging and reached the bus stop in the nick of time. Panting, I climbed on board and sat down next to an elderly woman.

I wasn't sure if Viktoria would be home right now, but I had a feeling that she was too upset to leave the house for anything. Fighting with her friends was one thing, but fighting with her brother was something else altogether. And still she refused to go to rehab for him. _Not for much longer if I can help it_ , I thought wryly.

When I arrived, Andre opened up the front door. He looked at me in surprise before stepping aside to let me in.

"She's in the bedroom," was all he said. "I haven't let her leave."

"Good," I muttered. "Can I talk to her for a moment?"

"Of course." He nodded towards the bedroom. "She's all yours." He hesitated for a moment. "But I'm not certain she'll talk much," he said at last. "She hasn't talked to me since I brought her home last night."

I glared at the bedroom door. "She'll talk to me, whether she wants to or not."

He nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Okay," I said, though I was pretty sure I wouldn't need him. As far as I knew, he'd been too lenient when it came to Viktoria. He needed to man up and make Viktoria go to rehab.

I didn't even knock on the door. When I entered, Viktoria was lying on her bed and staring blankly at the far wall. It seemed like she hadn't even heard me walk in so I cleared my throat loudly, announcing I was here. Finally, she looked up, somewhat startled. She blinked a couple of times, then sat up straight.

"R-rose?" she stammered. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes were swollen from all the crying she must've been doing and now she did sound like she had a cold. Her hair was disheveled and she was still in her pajamas. Honestly, she just looked awful. My face softened a little as I took her in.

"I've come to talk to you," I answered. I took a step toward the bed. "May I sit?"

She nodded, a wary look on her face. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Have you come to yell at me?"

"No," I told her as I sat down on the edge of her bed, facing her. It might've been my plan because I'd wanted her to feel what I felt last night, but now that I was here… I was too exhausted for this. "I just want to talk."

"Do you want to talk about what happened last night or are you here to talk about the night I murdered my father?" she asked bluntly.

I hesitated. "Both."

Viktoria nodded. "Well… All I can say is that I'm really sorry. I never wanted to keep it a secret from you and neither did Dimitri – he least of all – but he and Mama both thought it best to keep it between us. Because if the wrong person overheard one of us…"

"You'd be in jail right now," I finished her sentence for her.

"Yeah. And Dimitri would still be in there as well. For aiding and abetting a criminal. For lying to the police. And Mama would probably be in jail too. For perjury."

"I know. I get it now," I said softly, glancing away. "It was too much of a risk."

"So you're not mad at my brother anymore?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. I mean, I was a little bit angry last night, but no… I'm not mad anymore."

Viktoria looked relieved. "That's good. Dimitri doesn't deserve the shit people give him. I'm glad you're not one of them."

"I was one of them," I muttered reluctantly, feeling slightly guilty.

"Yeah, but you didn't know the whole story," Viktoria countered. "Now you know."

I looked back up at her, biting my lip nervously. "You know… Dimitri doesn't deserve a sister who's doing drugs either."

To my surprise, she didn't snap at me. Instead, she let out a heavy sigh and murmured, "I know. I'm the worst sister ever."

"No, you're not. You made some big mistakes, but everyone makes mistakes all the time."

Tears filled her eyes. "I let my brother go to _prison_ for me. I should've stopped him, but I didn't. I was too frightened at the time."

"You were just a kid," I said softly. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"So was he," she countered. "We were all just kids and look at us now! Everyone thinks Dimitri is a murderer, I'm a drug addict and you can't follow your dreams because of what my dad has done to you."

I frowned. "What do you know about my dreams?"

"Come on, Rose. I know you wanted to go to college. _With_ my brother."

"Why does everyone think I want to go to college?" I said, exasperated. "I never complained to anyone-"

"No, but it was obvious when your friends were off to college while you were still living at home," she cut me off.

I crossed my arms. "Why are we even discussing this? It doesn't matter. It's not why I'm here."

"You're right," Viktoria said quietly. "That's not why you're here."

I sighed. "Look, I know you're still haunted by what you did all these years ago and that you're trying to make it easier for yourself by doing drugs, but you're only making it more difficult."

"That's easy for you to say!" she almost exclaimed. "You never killed someone."

"While that's true," I said calmly, "you have to remember that your father was a bad man. I know he was still your father, but who knows what would've happened if you hadn't struck him with that baseball bat? Okay, maybe Dimitri could've held him down until the cops came, but what if they'd released him after a couple of weeks – maybe months? There was no proof he tried to kill us. Do you honestly believe he would've let you – _us_ – alone after he was released again? No. He would've come back to finish the job."

Viktoria was scowling at me. "What's your point?"

"This may sound harsh, but…you did us all a favor," I answered. _There, I said it. The words no one had dared to speak all these years._ Her eyes widened in shock at hearing my admission. "The world is a better place without your father in it. You shouldn't feel guilty for freeing us from him. However," I added, "you should feel guilty about ruining your life with drugs and alcohol when Dimitri gave you a second chance. He sacrificed his freedom for you, and that's a big thing."

A tear rolled down Viktoria's cheek. "I know. I never meant for it to happen, though," she whispered, her voice wavering. "I swear."

I nodded. "Of course not. You were scared."

She started crying softly. "Y-yeah. I went upstairs to call 911 just like Dimitri had asked, but I heard them fighting downstairs and I was scared Dimitri was going to get hurt s-so I grabbed the bat. When I came back, h-he was choking Dimitri. I was scared and angry at the same time and I just started freaking out. I don't know where it came from." She wiped furiously at her eyes. "D-dimitri tried to stop me, but I just kept hitting him. I – I couldn't stop. I don't know why."

I looked at her with sympathy. After a pause, I said, "I remember something…it's vague, but it's there…."

Viktoria gave me a questioning look.

"That night…" I said slowly. "Were you trying to tell me that Dimitri didn't do it? You kept saying 'I didn't mean to. It wasn't his fault'."

I hadn't thought about that moment in the ambulance for a long time. Back then, I'd thought she was rambling because of the shock. I'd thought she didn't know what she was saying.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," she muttered. "I'm not even sure if I was trying to tell you. Maybe it was from the shock that I said those things…"

Her face crumpled again so I scooted closer to her, opening my arms for her. She leaned forward and I wrapped my arms around her as she started sobbing.

"I'm sorry," she cried.

I hugged her tighter. "If you want to make things right, go to rehab. Let us help you. We only want what's best for you."

She didn't respond, but I could feel her moving her head up and down.

"Do you promise?"

She nodded again.

"I want you to say it," I told her.

She pulled back from the hug and looked at me, her bottom lip quivering. "I promise."

I smiled. "I'm proud of you."

She laughed, but it sounded really sad. "Do you still want to be my friend, Rose? Even though I don't deserve-"

I shushed her. "Of course I still want to be your friend, silly." Clearing my throat, I said, "You should probably tell your brother soon. He's going to be relieved to hear you're going to better your life."

"Is he still pissed at me?" she asked in a small voice.

"I don't think so. He's just worried about you."

She bit her lip. "But last night…"

"He was angry, yeah, but I don't think he meant what he said," I told her honestly. "He still cares. He always will."

She nodded, but she didn't look too convinced. "Are you two going to be able to work things out?" she asked after a few moments.

I smiled again, this time hopeful. "Yeah. I think so."

* * *

 _So, Rose decided to put her feelings aside so she could work things out with Vika and convince her to go to rehab! How do you feel about that? Did she handle it right? And it looks like things are looking up for Romitri! Finally :D_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you very much for all the reviews! They're much appreciated! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

 **DPOV**

It had taken all of me not to rush back to Rose's apartment right after work. But after being in Ivan's company for an hour, who kept asking me where I'd been las night, I had to leave. I needed to see Rose. I'd had trouble concentrating on work because of that kiss. It was _all_ I'd thought about today. Why had she even kissed me? It had been so out of the blue, just like when she'd called me comrade ten seconds before that wonderful kiss.

A lot of surprising things had happened this morning and now I wanted to know where I stood. I was desperately hoping that it meant she'd forgiven me for my mistakes. But maybe she already regretted kissing me. Maybe that's why no one was buzzing me in.

After two minutes, someone walked out of the apartment building so I quickly slipped inside. There were a few people waiting for the elevator so I took the stairs instead. I knocked a few times on her door, but the door stayed closed. Either she wasn't home or she was trying to avoid me. I wanted to believe it was the former. I realized a little bit too late that I probably should've texted her before coming over. With a sigh, I rested my back against the wall and slid down until I was seated on the floor. If I was going to wait, I might as well make myself comfortable.

Thirty minutes passed and I was still sitting against that damn wall. Where could she have gone? But just when I was about to give up and call her, she stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. She stopped short when she saw me.

"When did you get here?" she asked, surprised.

Quickly, I got up from the floor and cleared my throat. "A few minutes ago."

I didn't want her to know I'd been here for over half an hour because then she might think I was stalking her – which I wasn't. This was just me being desperate.

"Are you going to come inside or do you want to linger in the hallway?" Rose asked as she stood by the door, holding it open for me.

I stepped inside and she closed the door behind me. She then walked around me to the living room and I followed her.

"You had a good day at work?"

I looked at her, perplexed. How could she act so normal after this morning? As if nothing had happened. Maybe I was overreacting here, but that kiss had meant something to me. I thought it meant she forgave me, but she was being so casual with me right now, it was confusing the hell out of me.

"Dimitri, are you okay?"

I blinked. "No, I'm not…" I cut myself off, shaking my head. She was staring at me, her brows furrowed as if _she_ was the one who was confused. "Aren't we going to talk about what happened this morning?"

She tilted her head a little. "This morning?"

I looked at her, incredulous. "When you called me _comrade_ and kissed me outside your apartment building?"

She nodded in understanding. "Oh, that."

I waited for her to say more, but she said nothing else. She just looked right back at me. I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what she was thinking.

"Look, if I came on too strong, I apologize," I said after a few moments, my voice softer now. "I didn't want to confront you like this, but I'm really confused – because of this morning and the way you're reacting right now." I sighed. "I just want to know if that kiss means something or if you think it was a mistake or… _what?_ Why are you laughing at me?"

I looked at her, completely puzzled, as she started laughing harder. I crossed my arms and waited it out. There was something going on with her and I wasn't sure if I should be worried or not.

"Chill out, comrade." Her laughter died down, but the smile stayed on her face. "I was wondering how long it'd take for you to bring that kiss up. Didn't take that long."

My mouth fell open in surprise. "So you were messing with me?"

Her smile turned mischievous. "Maybe a little bit."

"Were you messing with me this morning?" I asked, cautious now.

To my relief, she shook her head. "No," she answered softly. "That was real." I didn't really know how to respond to that, but that wasn't necessary. Rose hadn't finished yet. "I, umm, I've done some more thinking this afternoon."

"Like the thinking you did last night when you were supposed to be asleep?" I asked, feeling a flicker of hope again.

She nodded, then slowly walked her way over to me. She stopped mere inches from me, looking up at my face. "I probably should have said this earlier. I don't know why I didn't, but I'll say it now."

I held my breath as I waited for her to continue, anxious to hear her next words.

"I forgive you," she said after a pause, her eyes never leaving mine.

Once again she'd rendered me speechless. The only thing I could do was stare at her in awe. This incredible woman never ceased to amaze me. In this moment, I'd never been so grateful in my life before, it brought actual tears to my eyes.

"You do?" I whispered at last.

She nodded. "I thought that would make you happy, but it looks like you're going to cry."

I gave out a short laugh. Closing the distance between us, I put my hands on her waist, lifting her in the air and twirling her around. She started laughing as well as she quickly wrapped her arms around my neck. When I put her back down, I held her close against me and buried my face in her neck. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the scent of her raspberry shampoo.

"I love you so much, Roza," I murmured, almost desperate as I stroked her hair.

When I pulled back from our embrace, Rose was smiling at me. Slowly, I started to lean in and lightly pressed my lips against hers. I wanted to take this slow and savor this moment with her, but as soon as my lips connected with hers, I forgot all about that.

Pulling her closer, I kissed her passionately, sliding my tongue against her lips. Letting out a soft moan, Rose opened her mouth and I brushed my tongue against hers. I still wanted her closer, but she was already pressed flush against me. The only barrier between us left were our clothes. I didn't want to rush things, though I realized that we'd already had sex the very first night we'd seen each other after spending six years apart. But this was a fresh start and I didn't want to screw it up by going too fast. I would let Rose decide where and when this ended.

But so far Rose didn't want to seem to stop. She started pulling me back toward the bedroom. As soon as I realized that, I lifted her into my arms again. Rose broke away from me for a second, letting out a surprised yelp. Then a smile covered her face again and she leaned back in, kissing me with fervor as she wrapped her legs around my waist.

I pushed open the bedroom door with my foot and walked her inside, gently dropping her onto the bed. Quickly, I took off my T-shirt before lowering myself on top of her. As we kissed, my hands found their way to the hem of her top and I started to push it up. I wanted to slow down, but I was suddenly in desperate need of her. Rose must've felt how desperate I was because she let out a muffled giggle against my lips.

 ** _\- Start M SCENE -_**

She pulled away from the kiss and pulled her top over her head before unclasping her bra in one swift motion. My hands were already working on her shorts, undoing the button and then dragging them together with her panties over her thighs. I made quick work of my jeans and boxers. Rose looked at me, biting her lip, as I fumbled for my wallet. When I finally found a condom, I threw my wallet on the heap of clothes on the floor. After putting the condom in place, I settled between her legs.

But before I could bury myself inside her, Rose caught me by surprise and rolled us over. Now she was straddling me, looking down at me with a grin. She ran her hands down my chest and a groan escaped my lips as I looked at her with admiration and longing. My hands found their way to her hips as she slid down my length, agonizingly slow. I knew she was teasing me, and boy, was it working.

When I was fully inside her, Rose slowly started to move on top of me. She was still looking at me, moaning in pleasure. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this. She was driving me crazy. Letting out a low growl, I tightened my hands on her hips and rolled us over again. Rose let out a small gasp, but then smiled as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I pressed my lips against hers with an urgency I'd never felt before as I pushed inside of her again. With each thrust, she moaned my name – each time louder and louder.

I realized I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer. I started moving inside of her in a frenzied pace and Rose's voice grew louder, still calling out my name, as I sent her over the edge. I climaxed inside her seconds after and buried my face in her neck, my lips pressed against her skin. When I finally looked up at her, I was still panting. She gave me a loving smile and ran her hand through my hair before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"I think your neighbors might've heard us," I murmured against her lips, smiling as well.

She started giggling. "I think the whole building heard us."

I pecked her lips. "You were pretty loud," I teased.

She gave a light push against my chest, trying and failing to look offended. I kissed her plump lips again before moving off of her. After tossing the condom in the trashcan, I crawled back in beside her, draping my arm over her waist. We lay in a comfortable silence for a while, gazing at each other.

 ** _\- end M SCENE -_**

"Are you hungry?" Rose asked at last.

"Why?" I returned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you going to cook now? It's already past nine." I pulled her closer to me, pressing my lips against her cheek. "I'd rather stay here with you. I'm not _that_ hungry."

"But I bet you haven't had dinner yet," she said. I protested as she started to get up, trying to pull her back into bed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to cook."

I wanted to ask her what she was going to do then, but she'd left before I got the chance. Not even a minute later, she returned with a grin plastered across her face and a bag of potato chips. I chuckled as she jumped back into bed and opened the bag of chips. I sat up straight, leaning my back against the headboard as she offered me the bag.

"It's better than nothing," she said before popping a crisp into her mouth.

I reached into the bag and took out a potato chip. It was true I hadn't had dinner yet, but I didn't care about that. All I cared about right now was being with Rose and I'd be damned if I was going to get up to make myself dinner.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked cautiously.

We'd been eating in silence for about ten minutes. The bag was empty now and Rose got up to throw it in the trash before curling up at my side again. I slid down to where she was lying so that we were face to face.

"What question?" she said, looking up at me.

I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn't want to come off as a jealous jerk, not after what just happened, but this thought had formed in the back of my mind for a while now and it wasn't going away.

"Please don't get mad," I murmured, stroking her hair.

Rose looked confused. "Why would I be mad?"

"I was kind of wondering how many boyfriends you've had since…" I sighed, unable to look her in the eyes. "I know about Luke, but surely there are other men who've tried to win your heart," I said reluctantly, twirling a strand of her hair around my finger.

"Are you jealous, comrade?" Rose said, half laughing.

Finally, I looked up at her. "I'm not jealous. I'm just…curious."

She grinned at me. "Sure you are."

I cut her a look, but said nothing. Maybe I _was_ jealous. I didn't really want to think too much about all the guys that had been with her, but not knowing was driving me insane as well. Maybe if I knew how many boyfriends she'd had while I'd been in prison, I'd feel better. _Yeah right, Dimitri. Keep on dreaming._

Still grinning, Rose pushed me onto my back and moved on top of me. Her breasts were pressed against my chest, making it hard for me to remember what the hell I'd even asked her. Was she trying to distract me on purpose?

"There were a few guys," she admitted after a pause.

I winced and looked away, but she cupped my face in her hands and made me look at her again. I swallowed pas the lump in my throat and asked, "Were you serious with any of them?"

Rose shook her head. "They were just flings. It never lasted long." She gave me a rueful smile. "Mainly because I was still pining after you."

I knew it was awful of me that this made me feel better somehow. But I couldn't help but feel relieved that she'd still loved me enough to not want to make a commitment to another man. I guess when it came to Roza, I was a selfish man.

Rose sighed, but then her face brightened. "If it makes you feel any better, you're way better in bed than any of them."

I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. "You're just saying that to reassure me. And it's working."

She grinned again, brushing her lips against mine. "I mean it," she murmured. "And I'm not just talking about the sex." She pulled back slightly to look at me. "No man can make me feel the things I feel when I'm with you. No one can compare to you, comrade."

My heart swelled as I looked at her. A smile tugged at my lips and I slid my hands up her arms and over her shoulders to her back. She looked back at me, almost shy, as she bit down on her lower lip.

"Any more questions?" she asked softly.

I trailed my hands down her back and cupped her behind. "Not at the moment."

Rose grinned at me and I grinned back before rolling us over until I was back on top of her. Leaning in, I kissed her passionately. I had the feeling this night was far from over.

* * *

 _So Rose has finally forgiven Dimitri, yay! I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorry if there are more mistakes than usual. I'm not feeling that well so I reread it quickly before posting. Hope you're having a great day/evening! :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you all so much for the well wishes and the reviews to the previous chapter! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

 **DPOV**

I woke up next to Roza early in the morning. She was curled up at my side, still fast asleep. From the few nights I'd spent here, this was the first time I was awake before her. This was probably also going to be the first time she wouldn't be annoyed at me as soon as she awoke. I'd been here for almost a week now and I had to say that a lot had changed in that week.

Though I'd been desperately hoping for it, I hadn't expected Roza to forgive me so soon. I hadn't expected her to take me back yet either. Because, as much as I hated to think about it, she'd built a life here. She'd moved on from the past – that is, until I came barging in – whilst my life had been on hold for six years and I'd had nothing else to think about than my past, which included Roza.

My main goal had been to be with Roza again after I got released, but Rose's main goal had probably been to move on _with another guy_. So yeah, I was extremely grateful that she had chosen to take me back in such a short time. I would've probably gone nuts if it had taken much longer, being near her but not being able to be _with_ her. But what would've really driven me mad was if she'd been serious with that guy named Luke. _Don't go there, Dimitri. Like, ever again. Remember what Rose told you last night? Think about that!_

I snapped from my reverie when Rose stirred beside me. I looked at her and a smile broke out on my face. Leaning forward, I kissed her gently on the lips. Slowly, a small smile spread across her face and I knew that she was awake. I leaned back in and pressed my lips against hers again. Finally, she opened her eyes.

"Hi," I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

"Hi," she whispered back.

I looked at her, completely mesmerized, as I stroked her hair. She closed her eyes again and sighed contentedly, which made me smile even more. This reminded me of how it used to be with us, back when we were in high school. I used to spend most weekends at Rose's place and then we'd wake up next to each other just like this…

"This feels like a dream," I murmured.

"I don't know," Rose said with a grin, running her hand down my arm. "This feels pretty real." Then she sighed. "You know what else feels real? Having to get up to go to work."

"You can take a sick day," I suggested. "I'll do the same. Then we can stay in bed all day."

"While that sounds like heaven, I don't think you should be taking any sick days. This is your second day of work. Are you going to slack already?" she said in a teasing voice.

I pouted. "I guess not. Though I still got a couple of hours…"

Rose grimaced. "Wish I could say the same. Can you hand me my phone?"

I rolled over and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. I grabbed mine as well and noticed with a frown that I had three missed calls from Viktoria.

"Ugh, my phone is dead," Rose said with a groan. "Could you please take my charger out of the top drawer?" She gave me a sweet smile. "Do you know what time it is? I don't want to be late."

"It's seven," I answered before reaching into her top drawer. I paused for a second when my eyes fell on something I'd made a long time ago for Roza. "I thought you would've thrown that dreamcatcher out by now."

I glanced back at Rose for a moment and I saw her cheeks redden in embarrassment. It was cute. Seeing how badly I'd hurt her when I'd broken up with her, I hadn't expected her to hold on to it. But she hadn't thrown it away either when I'd broken up with her the first time.

I frowned at the thought. I was a terrible boyfriend. Who would be stupid enough to break up with the girl of his dreams _twice_? At least I wasn't going to make the same mistake for a third time. I was going to be a better boyfriend from now on – the best kind.

"I – I couldn't just throw it in the trash," Rose stammered at last, unable to meet my gaze. "It's too pretty."

Smiling, I grabbed her charger and handed it to her before planting a firm kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you kept it. That means you still felt for me – even if it was just a little bit. Right?"

Her cheeks turned a brighter red now. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "Yeah, well, you can shut the drawer now."

I realized it was time to change the subject because she really was mortified. "Apparently Vika has called me a couple of times."

Rose looked back at me. "Really? How come we didn't hear anything?"

"My phone was on silent," I explained.

"Well, call her back," Rose said immediately.

I looked at her in confusion. Her reaction surprised me a little. "Why? I'm not ready to talk to her. Not after everything-"

"Maybe she needs to tell you something," she cut me off urgently. "Something important."

I arched an eyebrow. "What's going on? I thought you were mad at her as well."

"Yeah, but I've cooled off by now."

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously. "Have you now?"

Rose let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes! But I was mad at you, too, remember? And look at me now, barely a week later."

While that made sense, I still had the feeling Rose knew something I didn't. "Did you talk to her?"

"I might have," she admitted after a beat, avoiding my gaze.

I frowned. "When?"

She looked back up at me. "Does it matter?" She paused, then gave my arm a little nudge. "Come on, she's your sister. You can't stay angry at her forever."

I rolled onto my back and let out a heavy sigh. "I know. But I don't want her to think I'm okay with her doing drugs. She needs to realize that what she's doing is wrong. If me giving her the silent treatment is helping, then I'm going to do just that."

Rose shook her head at me and started to get out of bed. "I'm not saying you can't be angry at her anymore. I'm just saying, go talk to her. _You_ don't even have to talk. Let _her_ do the talking."

I got up as well. "You really do know something that I don't. Am I right?"

She shrugged at me. "You would know as well if you'd talk to her." She grinned at me as she threw my clothes in my direction. I caught them just in time. "And no, I'm not telling you. You need to hear this from your sister."

"Fine," I muttered as I started to get dressed. "I'll drop by her apartment after work."

Rose smiled, satisfied. "Good."

Seeing as Rose was already running late for work, we skipped out on breakfast. I walked her to Mia's flower shop before going my own way. I still had some time left so when my gaze fell on a small bakery a few blocks away from the flower shop, I quickly crossed the street and bought some chocolate muffins before heading back to Rose's work. Rose was organizing some flowers when I walked in and she looked up at me in surprise.

"Well, well, couldn't stay away from me, could you?" she said in a teasing voice. A grin crossed her face. "Seriously, comrade, it's been half an hour."

Mia came walking out of her office at the same time and smiled brightly when she saw me. "Oh, hi, Dimitri! Back so soon?"

I stopped in front of Rose and held out the paper bag. "Thought you might be hungry. Seeing as you haven't had breakfast yet."

Rose looked at the bag curiously. "You bought me food?"

"Chocolate muffins," I answered. "I know you like them."

Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she opened the bag. "You just scored yourself some major points," she said, looking up at me.

"Oh my God, you guys are so cute!" Mia gushed as she hugged the binder she was holding to her chest. We both looked at her and she cleared her throat. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

She left in a hurry, sneaking a few glances over her shoulder before closing her office door.

Rose shook her head, chuckling. "Don't pay attention to her."

"I'm not," I said, holding her gaze.

Rose started blushing. "Thanks for the muffins. That was really sweet of you."

I smiled. "You're welcome, milaya."

She took a step forward and stood on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek before pulling away again. "You should go now. Shop opens in ten and I can't have you distract me."

I nodded. "Duly noted." I started to retreat, but stopped at the door. "I'm working late today and after work I'm visiting my sister as you requested…" She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. "Or I could come to you after work and go to Vika in the morning," I suggested.

"When do you get off work?" Rose asked.

"Nine," I answered.

"Still plenty of time to see your sister and come over to my place afterwards," she told me with a shrug.

Not the answer I was hoping for, but it was still better than seeing her not at all tonight. She really did want me to see my sister for some reason. It was unfortunate, though, she couldn't fill me in on the _why._

"Okay," I said reluctantly. "You'll still be up by the time I'm at your place?"

"I guess we'll find that out later." She gave a small laugh when I started scowling and walked over to me. She opened the door. "Bye now, comrade."

I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. "You can't _wait_ to get rid of me, huh?"

She looked at me innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Leaning in, I sneaked one last kiss from her before leaving for real this time. I headed back to Ivan's apartment so I could take a shower and change before starting work. I was sure he'd be at work, but to my surprise he was lounging on the couch, reading one of my novels.

"This is really boring, you know," he commented, glancing up from the book. "I don't understand how you can read these for hours a day." He sat up and closed the book. "So are you going to make it a habit of not coming home?"

I gave him a funny look. "Are you my mother?" Before he could reply, I asked, "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Ivan raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you my mother?" he returned.

I rolled my eyes.

"I've got the day off," he said at last, grinning. "My weekend started last night." He got up from the couch and walked over to the fridge. "Were you with Rose last night?"

I cut him a look as I made my way to the bathroom. "Don't start again."

His grin widened. "So you _were_ with Rose last night. Again." He shook his head, chuckling. "Do you even still live here?"

I paused at the door. Most of the time I slept at Rose's place, even when she'd still been mad at me, but what about now? Now that we were back together? I guess I couldn't stay over at her place all the time. Not that I didn't want that, but I didn't want to be pushy either.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to live here a little bit longer," I told him.

"What, my couch is better than Rose's bed?" he said jokingly.

"No," I answered, smiling reluctantly. "But I shouldn't be there all the time. It's too soon." _For Rose maybe, but not for you_ , a voice inside my head whispered. "Shut up," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

"Hmm?" Ivan said, finally opening the refrigerator and taking out a water bottle.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "I'm going to go for a run." He started for the door. "Oh, and don't forget! I still want to meet Rose."

"How could I ever forget?" I said dryly. "You remind me every day."

After showering and changing into fresh clothes, I went off to work. Throughout the day, Viktoria called me a few times, but never when I was on my break. I didn't feel like calling back, seeing as I was going to visit her after work.

One of the waitresses attempted a conversation with me, but I'd excused myself, telling her my break was over. I wasn't interested in making friends or getting to know my colleagues because that meant they would get to know me and I didn't want any of them to know about my past. I wanted to keep that between my boss and me. I was sure that if word got out somehow, problems would arise as well and it would only end in my resignation, which I couldn't afford right now. I was lucky enough to have found a job so soon so I was not going to screw it up. I'd keep to myself and work hard so that I could stop crashing on Ivan's couch – not that I've slept there often since my arrival – and rent my own apartment.

When I got off work, I hurried over to Viktoria's place. On my way over, I was thinking that I could really use a bike. It'd be cheaper than taking the bus. When I finally made it to her apartment, I knocked a couple of times on the door, hoping that Vika was home. It was Friday night after all. Maybe my sister was out with the rest of her junkie friends. The thought darkened my mood. To my relief, the door opened a few moments later.

"Oh, hey," Viktoria said, sounding surprised. "I didn't expect you."

"Yeah, well, you've been calling me all day so I guess you have something to tell me," I said brusquely. I was still mad at her and I was damn well going to let her know that.

Viktoria stepped aside to let me in. I glanced at her and noticed that she looked awful. Her face was pale and she was sweating, like, a lot. It was probably from the drug withdrawal.

"Hey, Dimitri."

I stopped in my tracks as I looked up at Andre. He was zipping up a large suitcase. I turned around and looked back at my sister again. "What's going on? Are you going somewhere?"

There was a sharp note of concern in my voice that I was sure she must've heard because she gave me a small smile. "Don't worry, Dimka. I'm not going far."

I arched a questioning eyebrow. "Then what's the suitcase for?"

"I'll leave you two alone for a moment," Andre said, clearing his throat.

When he'd left the room, Viktoria cleared her throat and said, "I'm leaving for a while. I've decided to go to rehab after all. But before I do that, I need to see Mama. She has the right to know what's been going on in my life." She looked down at the floor. "It's probably going to hurt her, but I can't keep lying to her anymore."

I was in shock. Did I hear that right? She was going to rehab? She was going to better her life? "Vika, what… What changed your mind?"

She shrugged. "I guess I finally realized that drugs and alcohol aren't going to make the pain go away. And…" She paused, the smallest of smiles covering her face. "I had a good talk with Rose last night."

I blinked in surprise. _Rose?_ That's when realization dawned on me. _So that's why she kept badgering me about seeing Viktoria. She already knew._

"If there's anyone who knows what I'm going through, it's got to be her, right?" Viktoria said. "I mean, remember how much drugs they pumped through her body when she was hospitalized?"

I nodded. Rose had had a lot of withdrawal symptoms, but she'd pushed through. She was a fighter.

"She never threw it in my face, though," Viktoria said wistfully. "She never punished me for not being able to fight the urge like she had back then."

"But I'm sure she's very proud of you now," I said softly. My anger had dissipated from the moment she'd told me she was going to rehab. All I felt right now was relief. My sister was going to be okay. "And so am I."

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Dimka."

I nodded. Stepping forward, I pulled her into my arms. "I know."

She hugged me tight. "I hope you can forgive me one day."

I kissed the top of her head. "Of course, Vika. I'm sorry too. I didn't handle the situation as I should have. You're my sister." She was crying softly into my chest as she clung to me. I felt bad that I'd been so hard on her. "We're family. We'll always be family, no matter what happens."

Viktoria pulled back from the hug to look at me. Her cheeks were wit with tears. "You promise?"

"I promise," I said sincerely. I gave her a small smile. "Do you want me to go with you? For support?"

"That's okay, Dimka," she said, shaking her head. "You're needed here. Besides, Andre has taken some time off of work to come with me. He'll take care of me."

"Okay," I agreed reluctantly. I'd rather go with her, but what was I going to do about work? I was pretty sure it wouldn't help me if I already started asking for leave of absence. "You'll call me, though?"

She smiled through her tears. "Of course. I'll be going to rehab in the city so I'll let you know when I get back here. Then you can come and visit me."

"Alright," I said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," she responded.

I nodded. "Okay… Good luck."

"Thanks, brother."

I hugged her again and then started for the door. "Give Andre my best. And please let him take care of you."

"I will," she vowed, following me to the door.

After saying my goodbyes, I slowly walked towards Rose's apartment. I felt sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I wouldn't see my sister often anymore, but happy because she finally decided that her life was worth _living_. I texted Ivan that I probably wouldn't make it back tonight so that more of his questions could be avoided in the morning.

When I finally made it to Rose's apartment, I doubted she was still awake. But she buzzed me in and opened the front door.

"Hey," she said softly.

I gave her a sad smile, then walked inside the apartment and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and held me close.

"Thank you," I whispered, burying my face in her neck. I was so incredibly grateful for having her in my life. I was so grateful that because of her talk with Viktoria, my sister was going to rehab now.

We stood there for a while, holding each other, until I finally pulled back to look at her. I had to admit she didn't look too well. She was pale, but not as pale as my sister had been.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I've got a major headache," she answered, shuffling further into the apartment. Everything was dark. "It started in the afternoon so Mia sent me home." She shrugged it off when she saw the worried expression on my face. "It's okay. I have these on a regular basis."

Now I was confused. What was she talking about?

"I've been having them since the car accident," she explained.

"Roza, why-" I cut myself off. I'd wanted to ask her why she'd never told me this, but that would be a foolish question. _I_ was the reason she hadn't told me. Because I'd broken up with her and banished her from my life for six years.

"I just have to sleep it off," she said with a sigh.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked.

She hesitated for a split second. "No, it's okay. You can stay. But only to sleep, okay? I really need quiet right now."

I nodded in understanding. Even though there were still a couple of questions running through my head, I knew that it was best to wait with those until she felt better. "Of course."

I followed Rose to her bedroom and undressed quickly before crawling into bed next to her. I almost wrapped my arms around her, but hesitated because I wasn't sure if she wanted to be touched right now. But then she whispered, "It's okay."

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back to my chest. I knew that I should let her rest now, but I couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to be okay?"

I felt her search for my hand and she squeezed it gently. "I'll be fine in the morning. Good night, comrade."

I wasn't really reassured – not until my questions were answered. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. So instead, I pressed a kiss to her shoulder and closed my eyes. "Good night, Roza."

* * *

 _That was it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Next chapter Rose and Ivan will finally meet. How's that going to go? ;p Have a great day/evening! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you very much for your reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 **RPOV**

When I woke up, there was light streaming through the curtains and I realized that that must've been what had woken me up. I blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the light, and waited for my headache to return.

But it didn't. _Thank God_ , I thought, feeling relief wash over me. It had been a bad one yesterday, one where painkillers weren't enough to get rid of it. Whenever I had those, I would just try to get some sleep because most of the time, when I woke up again, it'd be gone. But I'd told Dimitri he could come over so I'd sat on the couch, waiting in the dark until he came.

Though he hadn't said anything but thank you, I knew he meant that he'd worked things out with Viktoria and that he was grateful that I'd pushed him to talk to her. I was glad for the both of them and prayed things would get better now.

I looked down at my hand, which was entwined with Dimitri's. He was still spooning me. I had to admit it felt nice to have him sleep in my bed again. When we were younger, I'd _loved_ it when he stayed over. But now I was afraid I was starting to love it a little bit too much that he was frequently sleeping in my bed again.

Today, it's been exactly one week ago that Dimitri turned up at my doorstep. Back then, I'd vigorously thought that I'd never take him back, but instead he'd been sleeping almost every night in my bed. I wasn't mad at him anymore, and I had forgiven him, but I was wondering if we were moving too fast. My heart said no, but my mind said yes. Because even if my heart didn't, my mind still remembered how much Dimitri had hurt me when he'd broken up with me _twice_.

I realized, though, that if we really were going to make this work I should learn to trust him again – not that I _didn't_ trust him. But there was a part of me that was hesitant to give this relationship my all. At least…not yet. I had to be sure first I wasn't going to get hurt again. But how was I ever going to be sure of that?

I felt Dimitri move beside me; he was waking up. Letting go of his hand, I carefully rolled onto my other side so I could look at him.

"Good morning," I said softly.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Good morning, Roza." Then his smile was replaced by a frown. "How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing the back of his fingers against my cheek. "You still have a headache?"

"No, it's over," I answered, giving him a reassuring smile.

He looked relieved, but only for a moment. "Is it something I need to worry about?"

I shook my head. "Comrade, you don't need to worry about me."

"But I do," he answered, still stroking my cheek. "I love you. Of course I'm going to worry about you."

Even though my heart skipped a beat when he said he loved me, I had to glance away for a moment. "I know you do, but really…it's nothing. It's just something that I have from time to time."

"And it started after the car accident?" he inquired.

I nodded.

"How often do you have these headaches?"

"That depends," I responded after a pause. "Sometimes I don't have a headache for weeks. Sometimes I have it thrice a week."

Dimitri frowned again. "Do you take meds for this?"

I shrugged. "Just some painkillers. It takes the pain away just enough to get some sleep. That's what really helps me. Peace and quiet."

He sighed, looking sad all of a sudden. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked, confused.

"You would be just fine if it wasn't for the car accident that _my_ father caused," he muttered, his face darkening. He looked away. "I can't help but feel responsible."

"Don't you think you've already paid enough for your father's sins?" I said scowling. "You really have to stop blaming yourself because this isn't your fault." I reached up and touched his face, willing him to look at me. When he finally did, I said with emphasis, "None of it is your fault."

He was about to protest, but I gave him a warning look, which shut him up. Instead, he sighed heavily again and murmured, "You're too good for me."

"You're damn right I am," I told him.

Dimitri smiled before pulling me in for a kiss. "Do you have to work today?"

I shook my head. "Every other weekend Mason helps Mia in the shop. This is actually my weekend, but he owes me because I covered for him when he was out fishing with his friends."

"That's very kind of him to help Mia out on the weekends," he responded. He paused, reconsidering. "Well, some of them at least."

I shrugged. "Isn't it his duty seeing as Mia's his girlfriend? Wouldn't you do it for me?" I added in a teasing voice.

"Of course I would," he replied immediately, "but I wouldn't see it as my _duty._ I would just do it because I love you and I want to help you."

"Aww, now that's sweet," I said with a grin before pecking his lips again. "Do _you_ have to work today?"

He smiled. "Not today." He twirled a strand of my hair around his finger. "So I guess that means we can spend some time together? If you want to, of course," he added hastily. "Maybe you've already got plans…"

"Not really," I answered with a shrug.

"Alright. Then what do you suggest we should do?" he asked, the smile still on his face.

I stayed silent for a moment as I thought about what we could do. Then I reached out for my phone to check the time and saw that it was almost noon. "How about we go grab lunch somewhere first and then…"

"Then?" he prompted.

"Then I'd like to meet your friend Ivan," I continued.

His smile faltered. "Why?"

"Because I want to know who your friend is. So that I can get to know all about your life again."

"Ah, you just want to gossip about me, is that it?" he returned jokingly.

I tried to hide my grin. "Of course not. So, is he home?"

"Probably," Dimitri answered. "He's actually been wanting to meet you as well," he added, almost reluctant.

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed before scrambling off the bed.

While Dimitri showered, I rummaged through my closet for something to wear. It looked like it was going to be hot today so I decided to wear my yellow-colored halter dress. A sunny dress for a sunny day. I was humming to myself as I gathered my hair and pulled it back into a messy bun, then applied a little bit of makeup.

When Dimitri emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed, I was ready to leave as well. He suddenly stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw me and I felt myself blush under his unwavering gaze.

"What?" I asked, a little defensive.

I felt a little bit self-conscious. Should I not have pulled my hair into a bun? Should I have tried to hide my scar like I usually did to avoid being stared at? But then I remembered what Dimitri had said earlier this week. That I was still just as beautiful as the day he met me.

The look on his face made it pretty obvious that he wasn't repulsed by my scar, like most men were. I'd tried to hide my scar from the few guys I had dated, partly to avoid questions, but also because I just didn't want them to see it. The first guy I'd dated after Dimitri had seen my scar accidentally so I'd explained it, but he'd just looked at me with sympathy and then carefully tucked my hair back into place to cover up the scar. After that, I did a better job at hiding it.

But I knew I didn't have to hide it from Dimitri. In fact, I didn't have to hide it from _anyone_ , I realized. So what if people stared at me? So what if they asked questions? If they didn't like my answers, then so be it. If they didn't like the way I looked, then _they_ should look away.

"You look really beautiful," Dimitri said softly, snapping me from my reverie. He must've been reading my mind because he stepped forward and kissed my left temple, his lips pressing against my scar. "I like what you've done with your hair."

I felt my cheeks redden even more. "Thank you," I whispered as butterflies exploded in my belly. I closed my eyes for a moment as a slow smile spread across my face.

During lunch, I asked him about work. I grilled him about his colleagues, but he said he'd kind of been avoiding them so he didn't really got to know them yet, if ever. I didn't have to ask why Dimitri was avoiding them; the reason was obvious.

I decided not to mention it. The coffee house where we were having our lunch was small but cozy. But that also meant our neighbors from behind and in front of us could easily hear us. Talking about his time in prison was a sensitive subject; it wasn't something Dimitri wanted anyone, even if it was a stranger, to hear. But I also knew waiting tables wasn't something he wanted to do for the rest of his life and _that_ was something I could discuss in public.

I realized I'd already had this conversation with him earlier this week, but I couldn't help but say, "You deserve a better job, Dimitri. You deserve to do something that you actually _like_. If you'd go to college, you could achieve so much."

Dimitri was unable to look me in the eye; instead he stared down at his Chicken Caesar wrap. "I already told you, Rose. I can't do that."

"Why? Because you think they'll reject you?" I shot back, taking a bite from my burger. "You haven't even _tried_."

Finally, he looked up at me. "It's not just that, Rose. I can't afford to go to college. I don't have any money."

Realization dawned on me and I felt my cheeks redden. How foolish could I have been? Of course he'd earned no money over the past few years. He had no savings. I'm sure his mother had lent him some money to get to the city and Ivan was letting him crash at his place until he'd earned enough to rent his own apartment.

"Well," I started hesitantly, trying to fix my mistake, "you don't have to go right away. You could work for a year, maybe two if need be…"

Dimitri smiled reluctantly. To my surprise, there was a playful look in his eyes. "I tell you what," he said, leaning forward. "If you go to college, I'll go as well."

"What?" I exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

He smirked. "Take it or leave it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. _Damn him._ "Let's leave it for now."

"Why?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because you think you're going to fail? You haven't even _tried_."

I crossed my arms, scowling at him. "Hey, those were _my_ words!"

He shrugged carelessly. "Just saying it how it is."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I bit out. I chewed on my bottom lip and closed my eyes for a moment. I hadn't meant to snap at him.

Dimitri sighed. "Look, Roza, you're a clever woman. I just hate to see you waste your talents. I know you think your memory is crap, but you should at least give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Believe in yourself." He reached across the table for my hand. I let him take it. "Like I believe in you."

I bit down on my bottom lip again as I glanced up at him. It was true that I'd never given it a chance because having to repeat my last year of high school had been so tough, even though I'd wanted to go to college very much in the past. But maybe Dimitri was right. What did I have to lose? Dimitri's reason for not applying to college was more valid than mine. He didn't have the money and even though I was sure Olena would love to help him out, it wouldn't be enough. But my parents would happily pay for all the expenses. After all, they had more than enough money.

"I'll think about it," I said at last, almost grudgingly.

A look of surprise crossed his face. I bet he thought I wouldn't be giving in so easily. "That's great, Roza," he said, smiling now.

"But if _I_ go, _you_ go too," I told him.

"Unless I find a job that I actually like," he countered.

"Fine," I muttered.

Dimitri's hand was still wrapped around mine. He lifted it and kissed the back of my hand. I tried to hide my smile, but failed.

After we finished our meal, we walked the four blocks left to Ivan's apartment. Dimitri looked a little bit tense as he unlocked the door and let me in. He followed me in and called out Ivan's name. When there was no response, Dimitri called out a little louder. Finally, a door opened and a guy sauntered into the room. I assumed it was Ivan. I noticed he was tall, but not as tall as Dimitri.

"What's up?" he said. He stopped short when he noticed me as well. Slowly, a grin spread across his face and he raked a hand through his blond hair. He had a careless air about him, completely the opposite from Dimitri. "So this is the infamous Rose. Finally we meet."

I was confused for a moment. "Wait, how do you know it's me? I mean, I know you know about me, but how did you guess that I am Rose? I could have been any girl."

"Rose, I'd know you anywhere," Ivan said, chuckling. "You see-"

"Ivan," Dimitri cut him off, giving him a warning look.

But Ivan continued anyway. "Dimitri carried around this picture of you _everywhere_ he went in prison. I always caught him staring at it-"

"Okay, that's enough," Dimitri interrupted, clearing his throat.

"Aww, comrade, you didn't tell me that," I said in a teasing voice, looking up at him. It actually warmed my heart that he'd kept a picture of me with him during his stay in prison. It made me realize again that breaking up with me had been a difficult decision for him.

Dimitri looked flustered. He was at a loss for words.

"Seeing as Dimitri's not going to introduce me, I'll introduce myself," Ivan spoke up. He gave me a charming smile and held out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Ivan."

"It's nice to meet you, Ivan," I said, offering him a friendly smile.

"Likewise," he said. "After hearing Dimitri talk so much about you, I really wanted to see for myself why he's so smitten with you. Now I get it. That picture doesn't do you justice, Rose."

I blushed, mumbling a thank you.

"Cut it out, Ivan," Dimitri grumbled, coming to stand beside me.

I couldn't believe that this guy had once been in prison. He was so nice and outgoing. I hadn't known what to expect, but if I'd expected _something_ this surely wasn't it. Maybe someone a little more bitter and cynical about the world and maybe…a little bit aggressive? Someone I would be intimidated by. But this was good.

"So did Dimitri tell you what I was in for?" Ivan asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the back of the couch.

"He did," I answered hesitantly, not sure if he would get mad at Dimitri later for telling me.

"That's cool," Ivan said with a nod. "You're not scared of me now, right?"

I laughed. "No."

He grinned again. "Good. You don't strike me as someone who gets scared easily. His record is much worse than mine anyway," he joked, glancing at Dimitri.

My smile was forced. If Dimitri hadn't been so hellbent on protecting his sister, he would've had a clean record – except maybe for that one time he assaulted his father. But he never murdered anyone. It was clear, though, that Ivan didn't know that.

Thankfully, Ivan changed the subject to something else. We talked for a while, but I noticed Dimitri was awfully quiet. About an hour later, Ivan announced he needed to get ready for his early dinner date and disappeared into his room.

"Are you okay?" I asked, glancing over at Dimitri. I was seated next to him on the couch, but I felt like there was this huge space between us. I scooted closer and put my hand on his arm. "You haven't said much since we arrived."

Dimitri gave me a reassuring smile as he placed his hand on top of mine. "I'm fine, Roza."

"Then why are you so quiet?" I asked. "It's not because you're still embarrassed about what Ivan said earlier, right?"

"He said a lot of embarrassing things," Dimitri muttered. "You're going to have to be more specific."

"So you _are_ still embarrassed because of what he said about my picture you always had on you," I said in a teasing voice, nudging my shoulder against his. His face reddened, which made me smile. "Which one is it? I hope I looked decent enough."

He sighed, clearly exasperated. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"Fine, I'll stop teasing you. But just one more thing…"

Dimitri looked at me warily. "What?"

"I think it's sweet you kept a picture of me with you," I murmured before pressing my lips against his cheek.

His hand tightened around mine and when I pulled away to look at him he was smiling. It was a genuine smile this time.

"Are you going to show me your room?" I asked.

Dimitri followed my gaze and shook his head. "That's the bathroom, Rose."

I frowned. "Oh. Then where's your room?"

"I don't have one," he said. "This is a one-bedroom apartment."

I dreaded my next question. "Then where do you sleep?"

He gave me a tight smile. "You're sitting on it."

I glanced down at the couch. This was a loveseat. There was no way Dimitri could lie on this couch comfortably. First of all, he was too tall. And second, this was kind of a hard couch. I glanced around the room again. It wasn't until now that I noticed the duffel bag tucked away in the corner of the wall on my right.

I looked back at him, having made my decision. "Pack your bags. You're staying with me."

* * *

 _So how did you guys like Ivan? I think he's pretty chill, haha ( **by the way, he's not related to Jesse - who appeared in Better With You - in this story** ). What do you think about Rose's decision? She fears that they might be moving too fast, but so far her heart is winning from her mind because now she's letting Dimitri stay at her place. How do you think that's going to work out for them? _

_Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you for the reviews! :)_

 _ **To the guest reviewer** : Ivan was in prison for forgery and auto theft. Thank you for your review! _

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 13**

 **RPOV**

"Roza, you know you don't have to do this, right? I can go back-"

I let out a groan of frustration. I'd just crawled into bed, ready to get some sleep, but Dimitri was lingering at the door, as if this was the first time he was staying over.  
"Dimitri, for the last time! It's _fine_."

"But I don't want you to do this because you feel sorry for me," he argued.

Heaving a sigh, I got out of bed. "For the love of God."

Shaking my head, I walked over to him and forcefully pulled the duffel bag from his hands. I dropped it onto my bed and unzipped it. Opening my closet, I removed my shirts from the top shelf and dumped them on the bottom. Dimitri stared at me, perplexed, as I started stowing his things away on the top shelf. When I was finished, I turned to look at him, my hands resting on my hips.

"There you go, it's too late to go back now," I said with a careless shrug. "Now stop whining and get into bed!"

He didn't move. There was still an uncertain look on his face.

"I'm not letting you stay here because I feel sorry for you," I exclaimed. I was about to lose my patience. I knew he didn't want to impose, but I'd already assured him he wasn't all night long, but so far I wasn't getting through to him. "I just think you shouldn't be sleeping on a couch that's way too small – even for _me_ – for God knows how long. Besides, you're already here half the time so what's the big deal? It's not like you're going to stay here forever. We already agreed earlier you'd move out as soon as you have enough money to get your own place."

Finally, Dimitri gave in with a nod. "Thank you, Roza."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I grabbed the empty duffel bag from my bed and managed to tuck it away in my closet with great effort. I had to push harder than usual to get the doors closed. I returned to bed and made myself comfortable as Dimitri undressed.

"I owe you big time," he murmured when he snuggled up beside me.

I turned to face him. "You don't owe me anything."

"I promise I'll get out of your hair as soon as possible," he said.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "You don't have to rush. Take your time finding your own place."

Dimitri's smile was grateful. Slowly, he inched closer and pressed his lips against mine in a tender kiss. When he pulled back, he was smiling again.

"You don't think I was being rude when I told you to pack your bags?" I asked. "I mean, it's really nice that Ivan has taken you in, but I might've made it seem like it means nothing. He kind of looked surprised when you told him you were leaving."

"Don't worry," Dimitri responded. "He doesn't think you're rude."

I raised a questioning eyebrow. "How do you know that? You haven't asked him."

Dimitri shrugged. "I don't have to ask. I _know_ him." He paused. "Do you really believe he's going to be upset that I no longer sleep on his couch?" he said jokingly as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I haven't been there all that much to begin with. He probably won't even notice I'm gone."

I sighed. I guess he was right. "Ivan seems like a nice guy," I told him. "I'm glad he's your friend."

"So am I," Dimitri returned.

I glanced up at his face, contemplating if I should broach the subject. I knew that Dimitri never liked talking about juvie, back in the day, so I figured he didn't feel like talking about his time in prison either, but I was curious. While Ivan had told me a few things about life in prison today, I wanted to know how Dimitri had experienced it.

"I have a question," I started cautiously.

"You can ask me anything, Roza," Dimitri said softly.

"What was it like for you in prison?" I asked, gauging his reaction. To my surprise, his expression stayed neutral; he didn't even try to look away from me. "Is it as bad as people say it is?"

"That depends. What do people say about prison?" he shot back. I cut him a look and a grin flashed across his face. But then he grew serious again. "I hated every moment of it," he told me, his eyes never leaving mine.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Why?"

I was aware that was a stupid question, but I needed to know more. I needed him to tell me. I moved a little bit closer, barely able to contain my curiosity. I never thought I'd get Dimitri to talk about this.

"Because I didn't want to be away from my family, from _you_ ," he answered. "I didn't mind the close quarters, the bad prison food and that I barely got an hour of fresh air per day. The worst of it was that I had to miss you. And I know that's my own fault," he added quickly. He glanced away, sighing. "It's true that I talked an awful lot about you. The only thing I had was your picture." He looked back up at me and gave me a sad smile. "That's probably what kept me sane, you know? The thought that I would see you again one day and make amends for my mistakes."

"You know that it didn't have to happen like that," I said quietly. I knew that he knew this already, but I couldn't help myself but point it out again. "I would've been there for you. If you'd let me."

"I know," he murmured, regret filling his eyes. "I fucked up. Real bad."

A small laugh escaped my lips. "I don't think I've ever heard you swear like that before."

"Yeah, well, I might as well say it how it is," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'm a stupid fuck."

I giggled and gave his shoulder a gentle push. "Stop it. It's weird. I'm the one who swears like this. Not you."

The smile finally broke out on his face. "I'm sorry."

After sobering up, I asked in a more serious voice, "So what did you do all day?" I couldn't stop myself from teasing him. "Except for staring at my picture, of course."

"I kept to myself mostly," he answered. "Ivan was the only one I really talked to. He was well-liked in prison so everyone just left me alone because they didn't want to get in trouble with him."

I nodded. I could imagine Ivan had gained a lot of respect from his fellow inmates. He was a very likeable guy, but I was pretty sure that, if need be, he could be very threatening. Dimitri could look very threatening as well when he wanted to so even if Ivan hadn't been there, I was confident he would have held his ground.

"Apart from reading, I exercised plenty in the gym because there really isn't much else to do," Dimitri continued. "And I took classes so I could graduate. That took about a year so when that was over I exercised some more." He grinned at me. "That's pretty much it."

"Yeah, I've noticed you've been exercising," I muttered, running my hand over his rock hard abs. "I look fat now compared to you."

"What?" Dimitri said, laughing. When he saw I was being serious, he looked at me in disbelief. "You're not fat, Roza."

"I'm curvy," I countered.

Dimitri caught me off guard when he rolled me onto my back. My breath hitched in my throat as his body pressed against mine. I felt his hands skim my breasts and I closed my eyes, relishing his touch. "I like your curves," he murmured into my ear as his hands settled on my hips. "Very much."

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. He pulled back a little to look at me before leaning in to kiss me. It started out gentle, but it turned rather quickly into a deep and passionate kiss. While I enjoyed that very much, I needed to tell him something. I kind of felt guilty for ruining the moment, but I wanted him to know.

"Thank you for opening up to me," I said, a little breathless. "It really means a lot to me."

"I should've opened up to you a long time ago," Dimitri answered wistfully. "If I'm ever going to win your trust back, I have to be honest with you." He paused, giving me the smallest of smiles. "You can ask me anything, Roza. Anything you want to know, I'll tell you."

"I think I'm good for now," I said softly before pressing my lips against his again.

We made love, and afterwards, I curled up beside him and fell into a peaceful sleep. I didn't wake until I felt Dimitri move out from under me. When I lifted my head, he stopped moving.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you," he whispered.

I blinked a couple of times and glanced around. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep with my head on his chest. "That's okay."

"I have to go to work," he said, an apologetic look on his face.

I felt disappointed, but I didn't show it. "Alright. When will you be back?"

"Late afternoon, probably," he answered. He brushed his fingers against my cheek. "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?"

I started nodding, but then stopped. "Shit."

"What?" Dimitri asked.

"Every couple of weeks I have dinner with the gang," I answered, "minus Lissa and Christian because they moved. We scheduled that dinner for tonight. But you can come along," I added with a smile. "If you want to."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Dimitri said carefully.

I knew what he was thinking. "Don't you remember Mia's reaction when she first saw you again? Everyone's going to love to see you."

"You think so?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

My smile widened. "I know so!"

Dimitri chuckled. "Alright then." He kissed me quickly and started to get up again. "Now I really have to get ready…"

After Dimitri had left, I decided to clean my apartment. It had been a while anyway and if Dimitri was going to live here temporarily, I might as well make some space for his stuff. I tried not to think about how we were moving way too fast and that it was my fault. After all I was the one who told him to stay at my place. _Repeatedly._

After I'd finished cleaning, I started reorganizing my closet. I threw out clothes I hadn't worn in more than a year and then neatly stacked the items I wanted to keep on the shelfs. I hung my dresses on the coat rack, along with a couple of Dimitri's shirts.

When I was done with that, I returned to my small living room with Dimitri's duffel bag. My parents had bought me a bookshelf as a housewarming gift when I first moved in here. I didn't have that many books, though, so I could put Dimitri's books next to mine. He didn't have much with him either – I figured most of his books were still at his old home.

When I was about to place the last book on the shelf, something fell out of the book and dropped to the floor. I glanced down and noticed it was a picture or something. Curious, I flipped it over and let out a small gasp when I saw that it was a picture of me. This must be the picture he'd kept with him during his time in prison.

I had to admit I looked pretty good in the picture, for which I was grateful. I didn't remember when it was taken, but I must've been very happy because my smile was huge. It was probably taken not long after I'd started dating Dimitri because there were trees behind me and Dimitri and I used to walk in the forest behind my house all the time. That's where we shared our first kiss. I felt the butterflies in my stomach again just thinking about it.

Sometimes I wished we could go back in time, back to the time where our relationship wasn't complicated. It didn't have to be complicated now, either. Dimitri's dad was gone. There was nothing that could ruin it for us now – except my own doubts. With a sigh, I placed the picture back in the book and then put it on the shelf.

When I was satisfied with my new shiny apartment, I went to take a shower and started to get ready for tonight. Seeing as it was still warm today, I decided to wear my red cocktail dress again. I'd just finished applying my makeup when someone knocked on the door.

"Coming," I called as I walked out of the bathroom, wondering who it could be. Maybe it was the old lady next door who wanted to borrow some milk. It wouldn't be the first time.

But when I opened the door, it was Dimitri who was standing in front of me. "Oh, hey," I said, a little surprised.

"Someone let me in downstairs," he said. He took a small step back as he took me in, his eyes roaming the length of my body. When he looked back up at me, he was smiling. "You look breathtaking, Roza."

 _See? There are other words than 'hot', Luke!_ I thought involuntarily. I'd worn the same dress on my last date with Luke. While I'd been fishing for a compliment, he hadn't exactly given me the one I wanted to hear. But Dimitri always knew the right thing to say.

I blushed. "Thank you, comrade."

He was still staring at me, his eyes full of love. This was how I wanted to be looked at. Not like a piece of meat. I stepped back to let Dimitri in and followed him down the narrow hallway into the living room.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I should've probably given you the spare key before you left. Seeing as you live here now, a key might come in handy," I joked.

Dimitri stopped abruptly and I almost bumped into him. He turned around, a surprised look on his face. "You unpacked the rest of my stuff?"

I followed his gaze back to the new addition of books on my bookshelf. "Yeah?" I made it sound like a question. "I thought I'd make space for you. I hope that's okay? I didn't mean to pry-"

Dimitri cut me off as he pressed my lips against mine. "Thanks, milaya. I didn't expect you to do all this because I'm not staying here permanently, but it's nice that you want to make me feel welcome."

I shrugged. "It's no trouble. I rearranged the closet so now you've got more space in there as well. In case you'd like to buy a duster sometime soon," I added teasingly. "Fall is coming soon. You're going to need something to wear against the cold."

His eyes were twinkling in amusement. "I bet you dug my duster more than I did, am I right?

Once again, I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. _You_ were really attached to your duster." I paused, looking down at my new spotless floor. It was so shiny now. "But it's kind of weird seeing you without it," I admitted.

Dimitri grinned. He tugged at my hand and I let him pull me towards him. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight before pressing a kiss on the top of my head.

"You think I still have some time to shower and get changed before we have to leave?" he asked.

I nodded. "You've got about thirty minutes."

He kissed the top of my head again, running his fingers over my braid. It was a fishtail one and it had taken up a lot of my time, but I was happy with the result. Dimitri seemed to like it as well. As he headed to the bathroom, I said, "By the way, I found the picture."

He turned around again to look at me.

I grinned. "Good choice."

* * *

 _Aww, aren't they cute together? I really love writing the happy moments between them, and I hope you liked reading it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Next chapter will be about the dinner with their old friends!_ _Have a great day/evening! :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you for the reviews! I know this chapter is kinda short, but I hope you'll like it anyway. :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 14**

 **DPOV**

Seeing my old friends again after six years was kind of weird. What made it even weirder was that none of them were expecting to see me – with the exception of Mia and, probably, Mason. Knowing Mia, she'd most likely told her boyfriend about my return the minute I'd left her shop. And if the look on his face was anything to go by, he still hated my guts. I couldn't really blame him, though. To my surprise, the rest of the group was quite happy to see me.

Adrian jumped up from his chair with a grin plastered across his face as he clapped my shoulder. "It's good to see you, man!" he exclaimed. "I had no idea you were out! When did that happen?"

Eddie greeted me with a lot of enthusiasm as well. He'd brought his girlfriend, Jill. I never knew her that well, but I remembered she was nice. Sydney was all smiles, too, as she greeted me politely. I was a little bit astonished they'd all stayed together. I guess I'd been the only fool to break up with the love of his life – as usual.

I thought coming along would be awkward, but it was going alright so far. No one asked me about prison, except for Adrian who interrupted the conversation from time to time to ask things like, "How was prison like? Is the food eatable? I bet it's awful. How about your cell? Was it small?"

His questions weren't really personal so I didn't mind answering them. Rose, however, told Adrian to stop hammering me in a not so friendly way. But it shut him up – for a while, at least.

"So how are you adjusting to life in the city?" Eddie asked during dinner, looking up at me.

"It's okay," I answered. "I'm finally starting to know my way around."

"Where do you live now?" Sydney asked.

I glanced sideways at Rose. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tell, but then Rose said, "With me. He's saving money until he can find his own place."

"I imagine it must be difficult to find a job with your past, though," Mason muttered before taking a big gulp of his beer.

I gave him a tight smile. He was probably trying to get a rise out of me, but I wouldn't let that happen. "I already have a job," I responded.

"Oh, that sucks," Adrian said. "I was hoping you'd want to work at my bar."

"Are you serious?" Mason exclaimed, incredulous.

Adrian shrugged. "I could use an extra hand behind the bar."

"Thanks for the offer," I said, "but I'm already waiting tables somewhere else."

"Well, if you change your mind…" Adrian said slowly. "Pay's good. And you won't have to wait tables. You just have to tend the bar."

I offered him a polite smile. "I'll keep it in mind."

"So what's the deal?" Mia asked curiously, leaning forward as she glanced from Rose to me. "Are you two officially back together?"

Once again, I glanced subtly at Rose for guidance. I didn't know why they all kept questioning _me_. They should ask Rose these kind of questions. But Rose seemed to be a little bit flustered at the moment.

"Uh, yeah… I guess so," she stammered, meeting my eyes for a brief moment.

It didn't really sound convincing, which made me wonder if she was already regretting letting me move in. Suppressing a sigh, I pushed my food around my plate, not feeling that hungry anymore. I should've never let her take me in. This was too much, too soon.

But then I felt her hand on my thigh, squeezing my knee softly. I stole another glance at her, giving her a questioning look, which she returned with a confident smile. Her hand was still on my thigh. I let my hand drop and rested it on my leg, next to hers. Almost touching. Without hesitation, she reached out and laced our fingers together. Automatically, my lips curved into a smile. Maybe I'd been too rash; maybe she didn't regret letting me stay at her place. Maybe like me, the question had caught her off guard.

"Is it true that when you drop your soap in the shower and you bend to pick it up," Adrian started, interrupting our moment, "and they, like, take you-"

"Adrian!" Both Rose and Sydney chastised him at the same time.

"Don't be rude," Sydney added with a scowl.

"What?" Adrian said, shrugging helplessly. "It's just something I've wondering about. You always see it in the movies, but does it happen in real life as well?"

"God, Adrian," Rose muttered. "You're really pushing it right now."

She looked at me apologetically and in return I gave her a smile. Honestly, I wasn't all that annoyed at Adrian for asking his random questions about prison; it was rather…amusing.

Eddie cleared his throat and changed the subject to a safer topic: football. I tuned out of that conversation pretty quickly. I noticed Rose wasn't really paying attention either; instead she kept glancing back at me. I could see there was something bothering her, but I couldn't tell what it was and this wasn't exactly the moment to ask. So instead, I found her hand under the table again and squeezed it gently. It was unfortunate that I had to let go so soon so we could resume eating. After a while, the conversation turned back to me.

"I'm a little bit curious," Eddie started, "can you, like, get your high school diploma in prison?"

"Of course not," Mason snorted. "Most people manage to stay out of trouble until after high school graduation. _At the least_."

Mia elbowed him in the ribs. "Mase!"

Rose was glaring. Before she could open her mouth to speak her mind, I said quickly, "Actually, I did graduate from high school." I looked Mason in the eye. "In prison."

"That's great," Eddie said, genuinely interested. "Was it hard?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Besides, I had nothing better to do."

I answered a few more questions and then we all ordered dessert. Rose had a difficult time deciding between the molten chocolate lava cake and the chocolate mousse. In the end, she decided for the chocolate mousse so I ordered the lava cake so that she could enjoy both. I wasn't hungry anymore anyway. When I offered her my dessert, she was almost giddy with happiness. She'd always had a sweet tooth. But even Roza had trouble finishing it all.

"You haven't even tried your own dessert yet," she said, pushing the plate back to me. "You take the last bite."

I took the fork from her and scooped the last bit of lava cake into my mouth. I had to admit it was pretty good.

"I bet you regret giving your dessert to me, am I right, comrade?" Rose said teasingly.

I leaned in closer and murmured into her ear, "Not really, Roza. I think _you_ taste better than any dessert."

Her cheeks turned red in an instant, but then she grinned and elbowed my side. "Manners, comrade. We're in company."

But no one had even noticed our exchange. The dinner ended soon after that, and after saying our goodbyes, Rose and I walked back to her apartment.

"Thanks for coming," she said after a while, breaking the comfortable silence. "I know you did it for me." She looked up at me with a hesitant smile. "So…thanks. And I'm sorry about Mason being rude." She paused, frowning. "And Adrian for prying."

Truthfully, my main reason for coming along had been to please Rose, but it actually hadn't been so bad. It may have been even nice, seeing my friends again.

"No need to apologize, Roza," I answered. "Mason was…Mason. He's never liked me so I didn't expect any different now. But Adrian…" I chuckled. "Well… he was kinda enthusiastic. Can't say I expected that either. And he offered me a job." I grinned at her. "How crazy is that?"

"Yeah, that's true," Rose said, grinning as well. "But still…his questions. I hope you didn't feel embarrassed."

"No, I thought it was pretty funny."

She looked at me with suspicion. "I can't tell if you're lying right now to make me feel better."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm not."

"Huh. The old you would've have definitely been embarrassed," Rose concluded with a half shrug.

"The old me was an idiot," I muttered.

Rose's grin returned to her face. "Yeah, maybe." I arched an indignant eyebrow at her and she started laughing. "Just a little bit."

I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close before kissing the side of her head. "Thank you for your honesty, Roza."

"Hey, you said it yourself," she said, still laughing, as she leaned into me. "I'm agreeing with you."

I opened my mouth, about to tell her how much I loved her, but refrained myself just in time. Ever since I'd got back to her, I'd told her plenty times that I loved her. She never returned the sentiment so I figured she wasn't ready yet to say it back, which I understood perfectly well after the way I'd hurt her in the past. I was willing to wait patiently, for as long as it took.

But in the meantime, I wasn't so sure if I should keep on telling her how much I loved her or if it was better to refrain myself until she was ready. Because sometimes, when I did tell her, she'd look away, almost as if she felt uncomfortable hearing those words. I wasn't sure if I should ask her either because I didn't want her to feel like I was pushing her for more. It would only lead to tension between us and that was the last thing I wanted, now that Rose had stopped being angry with me.

Luckily, Rose didn't notice my internal struggle. When she looked up at me, I gave her a smile, albeit a little forced. But she didn't notice that either. _She's happy now, and so am I. I shouldn't ruin the mood. She'll tell me she loves me when she's ready. And if that day never comes, then so be it. I should be grateful she wants me at all._

"It's a shame Lissa and Christian weren't there," Rose said after a while, sighing. "Then we would've been complete. The whole gang back together again. All of us haven't been together since-" She cut herself off hastily, her cheeks reddening.

I knew what she'd been about to say. The whole gang hadn't been together since high school. Since my arrest.

"Never mind," she muttered, shaking her head. "Things change. They always do…in time. I guess I should count myself lucky I still see most of my high school friends on a regular basis."

 _Except Lissa_ , I realized. She'd moved back to her old hometown to start a life with Christian there, and that's what was bothering Rose.

"You miss Lissa a lot, don't you?" I said.

She nodded. "It's not the same without her. I'm used to her being around all the time, but it's all changed now." She shrugged. "But that's all part of growing up, right? Soon she'll be married and have kids…and then we'll talk to each other even less."

"She'll always be your friend," I told her. "She would never give up on you."

Rose smiled sadly. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I miss her."

I let my arm drop to my side and searched for her hand, squeezing it gently. "I bet she misses you just as much."

She squeezed my hand back. "Thanks, comrade. You always know how to make me feel better."

If I always knew how to make her feel better, then why did I always end up hurting her so much? The one person I loved the most always got hurt the most. And not by accident. Only because I'd always acted like a fool.

 _But not this time._ This time I was going to do it right. I wasn't going to make the same mistakes again. And hopefully one day I'd be able to prove to her that she could trust me, that she could believe in me. And then maybe she could love me again.

* * *

 _There you go! I hope you liked the small reunion. I've already started writing the next chapter and I promise it's going to be longer than this one. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a great day/evening! :)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you for the reviews! :)_

 _For the guest reviewer: This story will have a happy ending for Rose and Dimitri (I always write HEA's for them :D) and Tasha will not be included in this one. Hope this answers your question. Thanks for reading! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 15**

 **DPOV**

Weeks flew by, and Rose and I settled into a routine. On the days my shift started at lunch, I'd walk her to work in the morning. I loved those morning walks with her, and I knew she liked it as well. Sometimes she'd show up at my work, near the end of my shift, and then she'd seat herself at the bar and try out one of the cocktails as she waited for me to finish.

I still kept to myself at work. Though I realized I was being antisocial, I preferred spending my breaks alone. If I did talk to my coworkers, I made sure to avoid questions about me. I didn't want any of them to find out about my past. The only thing they really knew about me was that the gorgeous woman sitting at the bar sipping a Mai Tai was my girlfriend. I hadn't told them but Rose had come around often enough for them to recognize her and seeing as she was always leaving with me, it was quite obvious.

When I finished up, Rose jumped off of the bar stool. She wobbled a little bit on her legs so I reached out and caught her arm to steady her. Then she started giggling all of a sudden.

I arched an eyebrow at her. "How many of these have you had?"

"Not that many," she managed to say in between giggles as she leaned into me. "You ready to go?"

I nodded as I glanced her over again, amused. "Are you sure you can walk home like this?"

"I'm fine, comrade," she slurred, a grin spreading across her face, and she placed a hand on my chest. "I – I promise."

I hid my smile. "Okay, let's go then."

As it turned out, she wasn't fine. She could barely stand on her two feet. She clung to my arm as we crossed the street and halfway our walk I decided to carry her. She let out a surprised yelp when I lifted her in my arms, then started giggling again.

"My prince charming," she laughed, pinching my cheek.

"You're drunk, Roza," I said. This time I failed to hide my smile. "You are really, really drunk."

"Okay, maybe I am a little bit drunk," she admitted as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, almost strangling me with her death grip.

"So what else did you drink?" I asked. "It can't have been just the one."

She looked at me innocently with her big dark eyes. "I might've had a Cosmopolitan as well."

I shook my head, laughing softly. "Oh, Roza."

When we got home, I walked her to the bedroom and undressed her because she couldn't do it herself without toppling over.

"Oh, are we going to have sex?" she asked excitedly when I started to pull down her skirt over her thighs. She sat up abruptly and knocked her forehead against mine in the process. "Ouch," she exclaimed, rubbing her forehead. "That hurt."

"Jeez, Roza," I muttered, rubbing my own forehead as well. "Lie still. I'm trying to get you into your PJs."

She started pouting. "But I thought we were going to have sex," she mumbled as she leaned forward and gave me a sloppy kiss.

"Milaya, we're not having sex right now," I told her, half smiling, as I grabbed one of my old T-shirts she liked to wear to bed. "You're way too drunk. I'm not taking advantage of you like that."

"But you wouldn't be taking advantage of me," she protested, "because you're my boyfriend and you can do with me whatever you want."

Oh boy, she was going to regret saying that in the morning. If she remembered any of it, at least.

"Well, your boyfriend wants you to sleep." When I failed twice to put the shirt on her, I let out a sigh and let it be. "Alright, you want to sleep in your bra then?"

"No, I don't need one right now," she mumbled as she fumbled to take it off. When she finally did, she tossed it across the room. "There," she said, smiling.

I blew out a breath, averting my gaze. "Roza, you're making this really hard for me right now."

"Oh, am I?" she giggled as she made a grab for my crotch.

I bit my lip as I pried her hand away. _God, Roza. You're killing me!_ "I didn't mean _that_. I just – will you lie down, Roza? You need to sleep it off."

Rose let out an exasperated sigh before letting herself fall back against the pillows. " _Fine._ "

I let out a sigh of relief and pulled the covers over her, tucking her in. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, Roza."

She'd already closed her eyes and didn't respond, but when I got up and started for the door, she called out, "Hey, where you going?"

I turned back around to look at her. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back in ten." I gave her a reassuring smile. "Just close your eyes and try to sleep."

"Okay," she murmured before closing her eyes.

I flicked off the lights and left the room. When I returned, she was fast asleep. I shuffled through the room in the dark, trying to be as quiet as possible so I wouldn't wake her, and crawled into bed next to her. I was beat so I was pretty sure it wouldn't take long for me to fall asleep as well, but then Rose moved and pressed herself against me. _This is not helping._

I snapped my eyes open, wondering if she was pressing her breasts against my back on purpose in the hopes I would be giving in to having sex with her. I lay very still and waited, but she did not move again. Her breathing was still slow so I assumed she'd just rolled over in her sleep. _Even in her sleep she manages to turn me on_ , I thought. _God have mercy on me._

But then she rolled over again and I could breathe again. Suddenly, she murmured, "comrade", and then sighed. I glanced over at her sleeping form and my lips curved into a smile when I realized she was dreaming about me. _Ha, it won't take long now before she says she loves me!_

Though I still expressed my feelings every now and then, she still hadn't returned the favor. But that was okay. If she was thinking of me in her sleep, even after seeing me every day, she must love me a little again, right?

I rolled onto my other side and wrapped an arm around her waist, spooning her. I pressed a kiss to the back of her head and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep at last with the scent of her raspberry shampoo filling my nose.

When I woke again, I was alone in bed. I blinked a couple of times, taking in my surroundings, and slowly noise from the bathroom registered. There was light filtering through the gap in the curtains, but it was still early for Rose to be out of bed when she had the day off. With a frown, I got up and walked to the bathroom, pushing the door open. I found Rose throwing up, her hands clasped tightly around the seat as she heaved into the toilet. She only noticed me when I pulled her hair back as she vomited.

"Ugh, comrade, go away," she moaned. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"I'm not leaving," I protested.

She had no time to argue. When it was finally over, she slumped back against the wall and closed her eyes. Her face was pale and sweaty.

"You feeling better?" I asked, concerned.

Rose opened her eyes and looked at me. "A little bit." She took a deep breath. "I think it was the booze."

I chuckled as I kneeled down next to her. "You think?"

"If I didn't feel so weak, I'd punch you," she muttered, but a reluctant smile crossed her face.

"How long have you been out of bed?"

She shrugged. "Not that long. I woke up cold so I put on your shirt," she said, picking at a loose thread, "but then I got really nauseous. And that's how I ended up here." She paused, then smirked. "Why'd you let me go to sleep half naked? If you prefer me sleeping naked next to you, you should just say so."

"Roza, I tried to get you into that shirt a dozen times," I told her, amused. "You didn't want to." I grinned. "You were really drunk."

"You think that's funny, don't you?" she said, slapping my chest halfheartedly.

I wrapped my hand around hers, pressing my lips to the back of her hand. "It was a little bit funny," I admitted. "But mostly, you were infuriating," I teased.

She smiled faintly. "How so?"

"You kept trying to have sex with me," I explained.

Rose raised her eyebrows. "And that's a bad thing?"

"No. But you were wasted so I figured that wasn't a good idea. It wouldn't have been…chivalrous."

"A real prince charming," she snorted.

That was exactly what she called me last night when I picked her up and carried her home. I grinned. "I try to be."

"I'm sorry," she muttered, closing her eyes again. "I shouldn't have drunk so much."

I shook my head. "You don't need to apologize, Roza."

"I swear I'm never drinking so much again," she said, letting out another moan. She ran her hand across her forehead, then frowned. She opened one eye. "Is that a bump?"

"Oh, you almost knocked my teeth out last night," I joked.

"Oh my God," she groaned. "This has never happened to me before. And it's _never_ happening again," she vowed, looking at me with sincerity in her eyes. "I feel terrible. I bet I look the part as well!"

"You don't look too bad," I said, caressing her cheek. "You're just a little bit pale."

Rose sighed heavily. "I think I'm going to try and get some more sleep."

I nodded and got back to my feet before pulling Rose up and walking her back to the bedroom. When she'd made herself comfortable in bed, I sat down on the edge.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can come along today," Rose murmured, giving me a look full of regret.

"That's okay. Vika will understand," I answered, giving her a reassuring smile.

Viktoria had been staying at a rehab centre for over a month now. Visitation was only allowed during the weekends, preferably only close family members. To make sure Rose was allowed to come as well my sister had told the staff that Rose was my wife. When she'd told Rose on our first visit, my heart had nearly stopped, afraid Rose was going to freak out. But she'd only laughed and complimented my sister on her cleverness.

"You should rest," I said softly, stroking her hair. I got up and grabbed the trash can, placing it next to the bed. "Just in case," I told her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

I sat back down on the edge. "If you're still not feeling well tonight, maybe we should postpone the trip."

Rose started to protest immediately. "What? No! You finally managed to get a few days off! We're not postponing _anything._ "

"Rose, we're not going anywhere if you're feeling like this," I said, giving her a sharp look.

"But I'm already better!" She sat up in bed and forced a smile. "See? All better. I'm good to go." She paused, furrowing her brows as she clutched her stomach. I quickly snatched the trash can up and held it out for her as she threw up once more.

Afterward, I told her to lie down again and then I emptied the trash can into the toilet before returning and placing it once more on the floor next to her. When she had no use of it anymore, I'd throw the can out.

"I'll switch with someone else. It's okay-"

"No, it's not," Rose argued feebly.

I suppressed a sigh. "Roza, I know you miss Lissa, but what's another week?" I placed a hand against her forehead. She did not feel too warm. "We'll go next weekend," I promised.

She made another attempt to change my mind. "But everything's already arranged. My parents-"

"I'll call them," I cut her off gently. "I'll call Lissa as well."

Rose stared at me and I stared right back until she finally looked away and gave in. "Fine. We'll go next weekend."

I smiled, feeling satisfied. "Great." I started stroking her hair again. "Do you need something?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I'll just try to sleep."

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked.

Rose shook her head again. "No, you need to see your sister. Besides, you've got to go to the restaurant and swap with someone else. I don't want to go alone next weekend."

I leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Okay, call me when you need me."

I was a little bit reluctant to leave her all alone, but she was adamant that I should see my sister. She was right, though. I really wanted to see my sister. After I got ready, I checked on Rose again. She was fast asleep so I left the apartment quietly and went on my way.

Every time I visited Viktoria, she looked a little bit better and more upbeat. The first time I visited her, though, she'd looked worse than when I found out about the drugs. In all honesty, she'd been a wreck, but that was because of her withdrawal. But now she had a healthy flush to her cheeks and she was smiling again. I was happy to see her getting better.

"Hey, brother," she said, waving at me as I entered the living room where she sat with Andre. I wasn't allowed in her room – no one was. "Where's Rose?"

"She's sick," I answered as I sat down in the loveseat across from them. I wasn't going to tell her that Rose had a little bit too much to drink. I didn't want to set her off or something. "Stomach flu."

Viktoria looked disappointed, but the look was quickly replaced by worry. "Oh. I hope she feels better soon. Stomach flus are the worst." She eyed me suspiciously. "Don't come too close. I don't want to get sick as well."

"I'm not sick," I told her.

" _Yet_ ," she returned, though she was smiling. "So I guess your trip to Columbia Falls is out of the question now, huh?"

"We'll go next week," I said with a shrug.

"That's too bad. Mama would've loved to see you again," Viktoria said.

"I know. But I'll visit her next week."

"Did you call her yet?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll do that later."

"Is she still crying often?" my sister asked carefully.

"Not so much anymore," I answered.

Viktoria nodded, looking relieved. Ever since Viktoria had come clean and told Mama about her problems, she'd been a mess. I made sure to check in on her on a regular basis, to see if she was doing alright. I knew Sonya was around the house to comfort her and keep an eye on her, but I would like to see for myself how she was holding up.

"But how are _you_ doing?" I asked. I gave her a smile. "You look good."

"That she does," Andre spoke up suddenly, kissing the side of her head.

Every time I came by, he was there. He was always there. Sometimes he'd leave to give us some privacy, but he'd always come back when I was about to leave, if only to say goodbye. If he was allowed, I knew he'd stay here twenty-four hours a day.

I'd never liked Andre much, but I did like him for that. He hadn't taken good care of her when she first moved to the city and allowed her to get into drugs and alcohol. But I had him figured out now. He'd let her do all those things because he'd felt guilty. Guilty for giving her that bat – the bat that had been used to murder my father. If Andre hadn't given her his bat, maybe nothing would've happened. Maybe we wouldn't be sitting here right now.

And that's why he'd felt guilty and permitted Viktoria to get wasted and high. He'd kind of admitted it to me the last time we saw each other so that's why I knew. Instead of getting mad at him, I'd decided to let it go. It happened, and there was nothing we could do to change it. The only thing we could do was let go of the past and move on.

"I'm fine," Viktoria said, waving away my compliment. "Let's not talk about me right now. Are you finished sightseeing or is Rose still taking you _everywhere_?"

I grinned. "I think she showed me pretty much everything there is to show."

She'd started taking me to all the hot spots in Helena when I'd first moved in with her. We visited the Cathedral of Saint Helena, which was enormous and very beautiful. Next, she took me to the State Capitol and the Historical Society Museum. Last week she'd taken me to a ranch, where we hiked all day long and then in the evening we had this amazing dinner in the Wagon ride. After that, we sat around a campfire, where Roza endured listening to live western music for me. Only she could be so thoughtful. I'd loved every second of that day.

"Well, aren't you a lucky guy," Viktoria said, chuckling.

My grin widened. "I sure am."

When visiting hours were over, I took the bus back and made a stop at work. Lucky for me, there was a waitress who wanted to swap with me. I'd be replacing her this weekend and then I'd be free next weekend to go back home with Rose. I never learned the waitress' name and I didn't want to ask now, in case she thought I was an asshole for not remembering her name and then change her mind so I just thanked her politely before leaving.

When I came back home, Rose was still in bed, asleep. I glanced quickly at the trash can; it was empty. I hoped she was already feeling better. Not wanting to wake her, I tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind me.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself just then, but then I caught sight of one of my western novels on the coffee table. It had been a long time since I'd opened that book. Maybe it was time I finished it. A slow smile spread across my face as I made myself comfortable on the couch, flipped open the book and started to read.

* * *

 _There you go! We've kind of reached part two of the story, from now on it's going to be a little more fast-paced. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! I hope you liked it. Have a great day/evening! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 16**

 **RPOV**

I didn't get any better. Every morning was the same. I'd wake up nauseous and had to run to the bathroom to make it in time. I managed to drag myself to work on Monday, though. Throughout the day I started to feel a little bit better, but in the evenings the nausea came right back. When several days had passed like that, I was pretty sure that it wasn't from the excessive drinking on Friday night. This was something else. Maybe I had the stomach flu. Dimitri told me to see a doctor, but I didn't want to. I hated doctors so I assured him I'd be just fine in a couple of days. It was just the stomach flu.

But on Wednesday, I still wasn't better. When Mia came back with our lunch, I could only eat a few bites from my sandwich before sprinting to the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" Mia called from the door.

"Did you ask for a turkey sandwich without pickle?" I called back. I took a few deep breaths. When I was sure I wasn't going to puke again, I walked to the sink to splash some water in my face.

"I did," Mia said. "Is it safe?"

"Yeah."

"They must've forgot." She opened the door and crinkled her nose. "They're used to you wanting pickles on your turkey sandwich." She leaned against the doorframe, a worried look crossing her face. "Do you think it was the pickles? You never had any problem before."

I shrugged, suppressing a heavy sigh. "This is the third time I threw up after tasting pickles. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You aren't pregnant, are you?" Mia joked, laughing.

I froze right on the spot. "No," I squeaked, mortified. "Of course not."

"Hey, it was just a joke," she said, growing serious again.

I nodded. "I'll be right out."

When Mia closed the door, my eyes slid back to the mirror. I looked pale and exhausted, but instead of getting thinner, I had to admit it kind of looked like I'd gained weight, which was absurd because I hadn't eaten in, like, a week. Almost cautious, I placed a hand on my stomach. I turned a quarter and glanced back toward the mirror. My eyes widened in shock when I realized my stomach was rounder than it was before. _Holy shit!_ How come Dimitri hadn't noticed this before? How come _I_ hadn't noticed this before?

Suddenly, I realized that I should've had my period at the start of this week, but I was three days late. _That doesn't mean anything, Rose. You've had your period a few days late before. And maybe you've just gotten fatter, with all the food you've been consuming. It's just a coincidence. No need to worry._

I was nearly in tears, my breathing shallow and fast. "Oh my God," I whispered, pulling at my hair. "This can't be happening."

There was a knock on the door. "Rose? You okay in there? You're not getting sick again, are you?"

"I- I'm coming," I said, my voice catching in my throat.

"Great. Cause I'd like to talk to you about Lissa's centerpiece for the wedding. Pink's her favorite color, right? I was thinking the flowers should be a soft pink…"

I let myself get distracted while she talked about flowers and colors and trivial things. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying as I tried to figure out what to do next. Should I buy a pregnancy test? Or should I wait a little bit longer? Suddenly, something else came to mind – something far worse. If I really was pregnant, then who was the father? Before Dimitri came back, I'd been sleeping with Luke. What if I'd gotten pregnant during the time I pretty much dumped Luke for Dimitri? _Oh my God._

"But you should ask Lissa about the bridesmaid dresses when you visit her," Mia continued, unaware that I wasn't really paying attention. "It'd be nice to match the dresses with the centerpieces, don't you think?"

 _You don't even know if you're pregnant. Don't start worrying about the father now. And even if you're pregnant, Dimitri will most likely be the father._ If Luke was the father, it would be a disaster, and if Dimitri was the father…Well, then it was somehow less of a disaster. But still. I couldn't be pregnant!

"Rose, did you hear me?"

 _It's going to be fine. It's going to be-_

"Rose!"

Startled, I looked up at her. "Huh?"

Mia looked at me with annoyance. "Did you just hear nothing of what I've said?"

"Uh, soft pink flowers, bridesmaid dresses," I said, flustered. Mia still looked annoyed so I gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'm just not myself today. I – I don't know why."

"If you're so worried, Rose, maybe you _should_ see a doctor," Mia said at last, annoyance making place for worry.

"Yeah, maybe," I said distractedly.

On Thursday, I decided not knowing for certain was worse than knowing so I stopped by the drugstore and bought three different pregnancy tests. I took all of them when I got home and when I read the results I cried my eyes out.

I was still crying when Dimitri got home from work at ten p.m., curled up in a ball on the couch. Quickly, I wiped the tears from my cheeks and pretended to watch a movie on TV.

"Hey, Roza."

"Hey," I said in a muffled voice, not daring to look at him. But I saw him frown from the corner of my eye anyway.

"Have you been crying?" he asked, standing in front of me.

Slowly, I sat up and wiped at my eyes again. "It's a sad movie."

Dimitri glanced from me to the TV. There was a little kid opening her birthday presents, while her parents stood behind her, waiting in anticipation. They were all _smiling_ and being happy. There was nothing sad about it.

Dimitri looked back at me, arching an eyebrow. "Okay."

"It was sad five minutes ago," I lied.

He sat down next to me. "And here I thought you didn't cry at movies," he said teasingly.

"People change," I defended myself, scowling.

Dimitri eyed me suspiciously. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said, a little bit too fast.

"You haven't been sick today?" he asked.

"No," I lied. That lie almost made me cry again, especially because Dimitri looked relieved. God, I was an awful person!

"That's good," he said, smiling now. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I wonder what it was, though. It can't be the stomach flu. I would've had it as well by now if that was the case."

I bit the inside of my cheek. _It's because I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant and I don't know how far along I am which means I don't know yet who the father is._ Oh my God, if it turned out to be Luke, Dimitri would be so devastated. Maybe he'd be devastated, no matter who the father was. Maybe he didn't want to have a baby right now. Maybe he was going to leave me again because of this. _He always leaves when things get too hard._

"How was work?" I asked.

"Busy," he answered. He started to frown again. "You look tense. Do you want a back rub?" He scooted closer, running his hand through my disheveled hair. "Maybe it'll help you relax a little bit. You deserve that after the crap week you've had."

I forced a smile onto my face. "That sounds nice, comrade, but I'm actually really tired. I'd like to go to bed."

Dimitri nodded. "I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to take a quick shower."

He leaned in again and kissed my forehead before getting up. I was relieved when he shut the bathroom door behind him. With a sigh, I turned off the TV and went to bed. When Dimitri finally came, I pretended I was already asleep so we wouldn't have to talk. He shuffled around in the room for a bit, in the dark, and then I felt the bed dip. A moment later, his arm snaked around my waist and his lips pressed a kiss to my shoulder. A tear rolled down my cheek as I thought, _He loves me so much, but will he still love me when he finds out I'm pregnant?_ That thought was followed up by, _What if it's not his? What am I going to do then?_

I realized I was thinking too far ahead, but how could I not think about these kind of things? It was important to me that Dimitri was the father and that he'd take the news well. I knew that Dimitri wanted a family one day, but this wasn't the right time. We hadn't even been together for that long, if I didn't count the almost-year we'd dated in high school. But even if I counted _that,_ it still wasn't very long. But I'd known, even back then, that if I was ever going to have kids with someone, it was going to be Dimitri.

But Dimitri just got out of jail; he just got a job. He didn't even have his own apartment yet. This was so not the right time to have a baby. _God, I hope he isn't going to run for the hills again!_ I couldn't take care of a baby all on my own. Maybe I should just get an abortion and pretend it never happened. I realized that was an awful thought to think and I couldn't do that to Dimitri either.

But first I needed to see a gynecologist and find out how far along I was. That was the only way to know for certain if Dimitri was the father. That, and a paternity test. But I kind of wanted to find out first if Dimitri was the father before I told him about the pregnancy. _Oh God, please let him be the father. No, wait. Let this be a nightmare! Let me wake up and find out nothing's changed._

But when I woke up the next morning, after having a fitful night, nothing had changed. I woke up nauseous again and quietly crept out of bed to throw up again. Thankfully, Dimitri was sleeping heavily so he didn't hear me this time. He must've been exhausted last night. When I finished my new morning routine, I remembered the pregnancy tests lying in the trash. I should get rid of them before Dimitri found them. Quietly, I got dressed and left the apartment, feeling very guilty for sneaking around like this. When I returned, Dimitri was up and about. Of course he asked where I'd gone so I came up with the excuse that I'd needed some fresh air.

"Do you want me to pick up the rental car this afternoon?" Dimitri asked, filling his mug with coffee before sitting down at the table.

I put a smile onto my face. "That'd be great. Thank you."

"I'll come and pick you up from work afterwards," he said, returning my smile. "Maybe we can have dinner somewhere?"

My smile turned a little bit more forced. "Dinner? That's…wonderful." _Let's hope I can keep it down._ A look of concern flashed over his face so I quickly changed the subject. "So what are you going to do today?"

Dimitri had the day off so he had an extra-long weekend. I wished I had the day off as well, but then I'd have to spend it with Dimitri and I wasn't sure how long I could be in the same room with him before blurting out I was pregnant.

"I'm going to meet up with Ivan," he answered.

"Oh, that's nice. Please tell him I said hi."

Usually, we had dinner with Ivan at least once a week. I liked those dinners; Ivan was a nice person and he was funny. I was glad he was Dimitri's friend. I was kind of sad I'd had to cancel this week's dinner. Suddenly, I wondered what Ivan would have to say about the fact that I was pregnant. Knowing how supportive he was of my relationship with Dimitri, I'd say he'd be thrilled. Unless it wasn't Dimitri's baby.

Dimitri smiled. "I will."

I grabbed my purse from the countertop and started for the door. "I'll see you later."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

I shook my head and forced another smile onto my face as I looked at him. He was frowning. I could see he was worried I was still sick. Trying to sound reassuring, I said, "I'm not really hungry. Bye now, comrade."

And then I left before he could utter another word.

* * *

 _There you go! I know some of you aren't really thrilled about the idea of Rose being pregnant, but I kind of wanted to write a story where Rose is pregnant, sorry :D. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a great day/evening! :)_


	17. Chapter 17

_Thank you very much for the reviews! I'm glad that most of you like the idea of Rose being pregnant. Now only time will tell if it's Dimitri's or Luke's baby ;p. Just a reminder that my stories always have a happy ending for Romitri. ;)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 17**

 **RPOV**

It was strange going back home. What was even stranger was that Dimitri was with me. I hadn't been here in so long, mainly because of the person sitting next to me in the car. I hadn't wanted anything to do with this town after Dimitri had broken up with me the second time because it reminded me too much of him, especially the woods behind my parents' home.

Even though I'd stayed for another year to finish high school, I'd been more than happy to move back to Helena, where I'd spent most of my youth, to start a life on my own. I'd never have guessed that I'd come back here _with_ Dimitri.

But hey, life surprises you sometimes. _Not that that meant it was always a good surprise_ , I thought bitterly, glancing down at my stomach. Yesterday, I'd made an appointment with a gynecologist. I'd had to sneak out of the flower shop during lunch, coming up with the same excuse I'd used on Dimitri: I needed fresh air. I made sure to make an appointment when Dimitri was working so I wouldn't have to come up with an excuse for _that_ , too.

I really hated sneaking around like this. I felt like I was lying to Dimitri, even though I was just hiding something from him. Either way, I felt guilty as hell. But telling him scared me more than anything in the world. It scared me even more than having a baby.

I pretended everything was fine when Dimitri was around; I told him I was feeling better. It was difficult trying not to get sick around him, but I managed. Barely. He knew something was up, though. I hadn't let him touch me or see me naked for a week now, scared he'd notice my belly. Of course Dimitri didn't say anything about it; he was too respectful to complain.

"I think we're here," I said, glancing over at Dimitri when I saw a house very similar to the picture of the small but beautiful two storey house Lissa had messaged me. I glanced down at my phone again. "Yep. It's the same address."

Dimitri parked the rental car in front of the house. I peered out of the window, looking up at the house. It was painted white with large windows, the kind my parents have. The garage seemed big; two cars could easily fit in there. But the garden was a mess. The grass was unkempt and wild, and weeds sprouted from the ground.

"Seems like Christian still has a lot of work to do," I noted as I stepped out of the car. Some of the weeds reached my knees. "Unless that's his idea of a garden." I shook my head. "Lissa will be pleased."

Dimitri chuckled. "If we ever buy a house, I'll make sure to tend the garden. I wouldn't want any complaints."

My cheeks turned a bright red color. Thankfully, I didn't need to come up with answer because the front door opened and Lissa came running outside on her bare feet. She was wearing sweatpants and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, which was a rare sight.

"Rose," she squealed, knocking me almost over as she flung her arms around me and gave me a tight hug.

I was so happy to see my best friend again, I was almost crying. Could be the hormones, though.

"Hey, Liss," I said, returning her hug. "I've missed you."

Lissa pulled back with a grin. "I missed you too." She glanced at Dimitri and smiled. "Hey, Dimitri. How've you been? It's nice to see you out and about again!"

Dimitri returned her smile. "Thanks, Lissa."

"Well, well, well," a voice called from the doorway. "Look what the cat dragged in."

I glanced up and saw Christian, his trademark smirk plastered across his face. "Hey, Christian. Nice garden you have here. Really…special." I looked around the garden again for show. "I have seen nothing like this before. Is it high maintenance?" I asked, looking back up at him. "Where can you get those kind of weeds? I like them."

"You always know how to crack me up, Rose." Christian stepped forward, the smirk still on his face, and pulled me into a hug. "It's good to see you." When he pulled away, he grinned at Dimitri. "And it's even better to see you. I'm glad you're out. And I'm glad to see you found your way back to Rose," he added, glancing back at me, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Someone's got to torment her when I'm not around."

"Well, that sucks for you," I said loudly, "because Dimitri treats me like a queen."

Christian snorted. "Queen my ass," he muttered under his breath. But I heard him all the same.

" _You're_ an ass!" I said, punching his shoulder.

Lissa sighed audibly. "Oh God. I thought you two would last longer than two minutes, but you're already at each other's throats!"

"You know we don't mean anything by it," I said innocently, giving her and Christian a sweet smile. "Most of it anyway," I added quietly, only for my ears to hear.

Dimitri and I followed the happy couple inside. Lissa gave us a quick tour of the house, apologizing for the mess every time we entered a different room. The house was far from finished yet, but even so, I could see it was going to be very beautiful when everything was done.

Empty boxes were everywhere we went, sometimes clothes or other things still spilling from it. There was a lot of dust as well because Christian was working with his tools every day, like hanging up photo frames on the walls or laying a hardwood floor in the living room. It made me laugh out loud, thinking of Christian as a handyman.

"You haven't made a lot of progress here either, have you, Christian?" I noted gleefully, looking around the spacious living room. Apart from the couch and the TV it was pretty bare. Thank God there was a mantelpiece to fill up the room a little bit more because that couch looked a little bit pathetic. I thought Dimitri would hardly be able to fit on it.

"Hey, I'm working on it," Christian exclaimed. "Stop making fun of your host!"

I just grinned at him.

"This is only temporary," Lissa said, almost embarrassed. "That's an old couch from Christian's parents. It's going to be replaced when everything's in order."

I shook my head. "Liss, this is a great house. Sure, it needs some fixing, but when everything's done, it'll look wonderful. I know it will. And if Christian's not doing a good job, you can always hire Dimitri," I added, placing my hand on his arm. "He'll do a better job for sure."

Christian scowled at me. "No refreshments for you."

Lissa looked exasperated. "You guys!"

Dimitri chuckled. "Don't fret, Lissa. This is just how they express how much they've missed each other."

Neither Christian nor I had a comment for that. I might've missed Christian _a little bit_ , but I wasn't going to admit that out loud. It was already bad enough that I was admitting it to myself.

"Rose, you have to come upstairs with me and see your bridesmaid dress!" Lissa said suddenly, excited again. She grabbed my hand. "I took the liberty of buying it already so I hope you're going to like it. If not, I can always return it," she added with a shrug.

I glanced at Dimitri and he gave me an encouraging smile as I let Lissa drag me off to her room.

"About that," I said as I followed her up the stairs, "Mia would like to match the flowers to the bridesmaid dress – uh, my dress. She would've liked to use a soft pink."

"Well, that's great," Lissa exclaimed as she opened her closet and revealed my dress, "because it's pink!"

I looked at it, almost scared at first. I hated bold pink colors, but thankfully Lissa had chosen a light pink, almost cream colored dress. "You should try it on right now!"

"Alright," I agreed.

The dress had a beautiful bodice with a long skirt. I would have to wear _very_ high heels if I didn't want to trip over the hem. The dress had sleeves as well; they came to my elbows. It fit perfectly.

"I find it disturbing that you know my size," I commented as I glanced at the mirror. I had to admit I looked pretty. "Do you know my weight as well?" I asked, frowning.

Lissa clapped her hands together. I don't think she heard me. "You look gorgeous! Do you like it?"

I smiled. "Yes, it's a really pretty dress."

"We should call Dimitri!" Lissa said. "He'll want to see you in the dress. I bet he'll love it!" My smile disappeared abruptly. I tried to hide it from Liss, but she saw. "What's wrong?"

I put a hand on my stomach, staring in the mirror at my reflection. "I can't wear this to your wedding, Liss. I'm sorry."

Lissa frowned. "Why not? I thought you liked it."

"I do," I sighed as tears pricked my eyes. _Don't cry, Rose. Don't you dare cry._ "I like it very much."

"Then what's the problem?"

That's when I burst out into tears. "I won't be able to wear this dress when you get married because I'm going to look like a whale!"

"W-what?" Lissa said, confused.

"I'm pregnant," I cried.

"What?" she repeated, louder this time. "You're pregnant?"

"Please don't shout," I told her, crying louder and louder. "Dimitri can't know yet."

"Oh my God," Lissa exclaimed, then whispered, "Oh my God. You're pregnant."

I nodded miserably and sat down on the edge of her bed, burying my face in my hands. I felt my best friend sit down next to me.

"Don't cry, Rose," Lissa said in a soothing voice as she put her arm around my shoulders. "It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not," I sobbed, looking up at her. "I don't know who the father is."

Now she looked even more confused so I explained to her that I'd only just found out I was pregnant and didn't know how far along I was. I told her that I was scared it might be Luke's and that Dimitri was going to leave me again.

"Oh, Rose," Lissa sighed. "You can't do this to yourself. You have to wait until you see the gynecologist before you panic. You might be worrying for nothing."

"But even if it's not Luke's, it's still bad!" I said, sniffling. "I can't be pregnant right now, Liss. I _can't_. This isn't the right time."

Lissa smiled ruefully. "Is there ever a right time to have a baby?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe in a few years." I wiped at my cheeks, my bottom lip quivering. "I _just_ got back together with Dimitri. He hasn't been out of jail for that long. He doesn't have any money and I don't have enough money either to support a baby!"

"I'm sure your parents will want to help out," Lissa said, trying to reassure me.

"I know they will, but…"

"But what?" Lissa asked.

A tear rolled down my cheek. "But what if Dimitri doesn't want the baby, even if it is his? What if he leaves again?"

"Screw him then!" Lissa said. I started sobbing again and she put her arm around me again. "Hey, but I'm sure that's not going to happen. He wouldn't leave you."

"No?" I said. "He did so twice already! Who's to say he won't do it a third time? You know how he is. He gets scared when things get hard."

"Look, I'm not going to defend him," Lissa said, "but you know deep down in your heart that all he's ever done was to protect you and his family. But his dad's gone now. There's no reason for him to leave you again."

"Unless this baby is not his," I wailed.

"Dimitri's an honorable man. He wouldn't leave you for that," Lissa argued. "Besides, he adores you."

"I know he's honorable. But I don't want him to stay with me out of duty or pity either," I muttered, wiping at my eyes again. I took a deep breath, shaking my head. "I don't know why I'm so scared of telling him."

"Maybe you haven't forgiven him after all?" Lissa said cautiously.

"I have," I said honestly, "but…maybe I don't trust him completely. Maybe that's why I'm scared."

She nodded. "Is there anything he can do to make you trust him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. He tells me he loves me all the time, but I can't say it back. I think that if I do, and if he leaves again, I won't recover so easily."

"That's really sad, Rose," Lissa said, looking at me with sympathy. "I had no idea you were struggling like this."

I shook my head. "I wish I wasn't so weak."

"You aren't weak," Lissa protested.

"Maybe not, but Dimitri is definitely my soft spot."

We were silent for a while as Lissa comforted me. I was really glad I could finally share this with someone and I knew my secret would be safe with Lissa.

"But how did you get pregnant? Didn't you use protection?" she asked after a while.

"I did," I answered. "We always do, but you know how careless I am sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes I forget to take my pill," I admitted. "But I've always used a condom!" I added, defending myself. " _Always_."

"Sometimes condoms fail," Lissa said.

"I know," I moaned, burying my face in my hands again. "I can't believe how stupid I am."

"You're not stupid," Lissa said. "You just…made a mistake." She paused, reconsidering. "It's not even a mistake. In fact, this should be wonderful for you." She beamed at me. "I mean, there life growing inside of you."

"I wish I was happier," I murmured, "but this is not something I wanted right now. Maybe in a couple of years."

"Are you going to get an abortion then?"

She was trying to hide it, but I knew she disapproved of that.

"No," I said immediately, almost indignant. "No, I wouldn't do that. I just…" I sighed heavily. "I just wish this would've happened in a few years. That it was our decision. Mine and Dimitri's."

Lissa nodded in understanding. "When are you going to tell him?"

"After the doctor's appointment," I answered. "But that's still two weeks away. I've been trying to hide it from him, but I get sick every day. At first he thought it was the stomach flu – and so did I. Now I pretend that everything's fine and try to keep everything down until he leaves for work."

Lissa arched an eyebrow. "Does that work?"

I laughed, but it was without mirth. "Not always. He knows something's up, but he's afraid to ask, I think."

"You should tell him soon," she said.

I nodded. I hesitated, but then said softly, "There's something else…"

"What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"I've drunk a lot of alcohol last week," I admitted. "Like, way over my limit." I bit my lower lip and wrung my hands together, nervous. "What if I somehow ruined the baby?" Lissa frowned. "You know what I mean. What if it's sick because I consumed so much alcohol? What if I miscarry because I drank too much? If this really is Dimitri's baby, he's never going to forgive me for it."

Lissa frowned. "Earlier you said you were scared he was going to leave you because he wouldn't want the baby, but now you're saying that he won't forgive you if-"

"I know what I said!" I cut her off. "Every possibility is running through my head and they're _all_ scaring me."

"Have you thought about the possibility that it will all work out just the way you want it?" Lissa returned calmly. "That Dimitri isn't going to leave. That the baby will be just fine."

I paused, thinking. "No," I said at last. "If I allow myself to think everything's going to be fine and it turns out to be the opposite… I'll break."

Lissa grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "You're Rose Hathaway. You can get through _anything_."

I gave her sad smile. "I hope that's true."

* * *

 _I know this chapter is short again, but I promise the next one will be longer and I'll probably update in a few days because I won't be able to next weekend, because you know, it's Christmas! :D But how did you like the reunion? Do you think Rose's concerns are justified? Have a great day/evening! :)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Thank you very much for the reviews! I know I said I'd be updating early, but I've been ill the past few days. I'm actually still ill so I'm making an effort to update now, lol._

 ** _To the guest_** _ **reviewer** :_ _Hey, no worries! You don't sound disrespectful at all! You're just sharing your opinion, which is allowed! And about Rose... I know she isn't being herself right now, which I'm doing on purpose, because she really is going through a lot right now. But it'll all work out in the end ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 18**

 **DPOV**

"So…should we be talking about tuxes?" Christian said jokingly. He glanced toward the ceiling. "Lissa will be happy now that she finally has someone to share her excitement over dresses." He started to frown. "You know, she won't show me her wedding dress."

"I thought it was bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding?" I said, leaning back against the countertop.

Christian shrugged. "I don't believe in that crap." He arched an eyebrow at me. "Do you?"

"No," I answered, "but women do, apparently."

"I bet Rose wouldn't be one of them, though," Christian said smirking. I was too surprised to say something. He turned towards the fridge and asked, "Beer?"

"Sure," I said distractedly, still thinking about his comment.

"So how are things going?" he asked as he handed me the beer.

"Do you mean with me and Rose?" I asked before taking a sip.

He shrugged again. "Lissa tells me she has forgiven you."

"She has," I said, though it took me a while to answer. "I think," I added with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed. "I don't know. She's been distant lately, but maybe I'm just imagining things. She's been sick a lot lately so that might be the problem."

"Has she seen a doctor?"

I shook my head. "She doesn't want to. But she seems to be getting better. She hasn't thrown up in three days now. She barely eats, though."

"Huh. And I thought she'd gained weight."

My frown deepened as I looked at him. "What?"

Christian gave me an apologetic look. "I couldn't help but notice. Sorry."

"Wait," I said, stunned, "you don't think she's, like, starving herself to get thinner, right?"

What if she was starving herself _because_ she gained weight? Would she really do that to herself? Then how come I hadn't noticed something was off?

"If that's what she's trying to do, she isn't doing it the right way," he said smirking. I scowled at him so he quickly added, "No, that's not what I think. Rose wouldn't do that. She loves food too much. Besides, it looks like she gained weight – not _lost_ weight."

"I haven't noticed," I told him. I frowned again. "Should I have?"

He shrugged. "How the hell do I know? I don't even notice when Lissa gets a haircut."

"But you noticed Rose gained weight," I countered.

Christian took a gulp of his own beer. "Just a little bit." Suddenly, he grinned. "Maybe that's why she's being distant! She's afraid you think she's fat."

I glared at him. "Don't call her fat. She's not fat. And that's just ridiculous."

"I'm not calling her fat," he said. "I'm just saying that she might think you believe she's fat and that that is why she's being so distant."

"That's ridiculous," I repeated. "Rose is a confident woman. She wouldn't do that just because she gained a little bit of weight."

"Then I don't know what's wrong with your girlfriend," he concluded with another shrug. "She seemed like herself, though. She still pesters me like we're still in high school."

"Only because you do the same," I shot back.

Christian grinned again. "You got me there."

I didn't say anything.

"Look, if you're so worried, you should just talk to her," he said after a few moments. "Ask her what's wrong."

I sighed. "I was actually planning on asking her something else, but I don't know if that's a good idea anymore."

It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Christian's eyes widened in realization and I bit the inside of my cheek, cursing myself silently.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" he said, gaping at me.

"I want to ask her to marry me," I admitted, "but the timing is all wrong. Besides, she's never going to say yes. We haven't been back together for that long." _And I don't even know if she loves me back…_

"While that's true, I don't think Rose would say no," Christian said. "She loves you."

"I don't know about that," I muttered. I let out another sigh. "And I know that isn't her fault. It's mine. I've made too many mistakes in the past."

" _No,"_ he said firmly. "You did what you had to do to protect your family. To protect Rose." When I didn't respond, he said, "She's forgiven you. Now you should forgive yourself."

I was about to respond when I heard a noise coming from upstairs. Both Christian and I glanced up at the ceiling.

"What was that?" I asked.

"It sounded like someone crying," Christian said, worried.

I hesitated. "Should we…?"

He nodded. "Let's go check on them."

I set my beer down on the countertop and followed him up the stairs. The noise grew louder as we came closer and it definitely sounded like someone was crying. Christian knocked on a door, then pushed it open and I followed inside. Both Rose and Lissa jumped up from the bed, startled. Rose turned away from us quickly and Lissa forced a smile onto her face.

"Hey guys!" she said, her voice a little bit too chirpy. "What's up?"

Christian glanced at me, confused. "We thought we heard something."

My eyes were on Rose, but she was still facing away from us. At last, she turned around and plastered a fake smile on her face. It was obvious she was the one who had been crying, which worried me a great deal. _Why can't she tell me what's wrong with her?_

"We were just talking," Lissa said. She looked at me, smiling widely. "So what do you think of the dress? Doesn't she look beautiful?"

I looked at Rose again. She was wearing a long pink dress. I knew she didn't like pink, but it suited her. She really did look beautiful. She looked more than beautiful.

"Yes," I said, swallowing past the lump in my throat. Rose was looking down at the floor, but when I said that, she looked up and I gave her a beaming smile. "You look amazing, Roza. Truly."

"Thanks, comrade," she said softly.

Christian cleared his throat. "Well, we'll leave you to it then."

Rose was extremely quiet when we left in the afternoon. She wouldn't look at me and kept staring out the window as we drove to my mother's house. The plan had been to visit Rose's parents first and stay the night there and on Sunday we'd visit Mama, but when Rose called them, they'd said we should go to my mother's instead.

It soon became clear what was happening when we saw two cars parked in the driveway and another two in front of the house. I glanced over at Rose, but she was still looking at the cars with a frown.

"What the hell is happening?" she asked.

"I have no idea."

I had to park at the end of the street. We walked in silence to the front door and I rang the bell. Five seconds passed and then my mother appeared in the doorway, a huge smile on her face.

"Dimka," she exclaimed, pulling me into her arms, "I'm so happy to see you!"

I smiled as I put my arms around her. "Is there a party going on in here?"

When Mama pulled back to look at me, she was smiling. "I arranged a little something, yes." She glanced over at Rose, her smile widening. She stepped forward to hug her as well. "It's been so long, Rose."

"Yeah," Rose answered, an apologetic look on her face. "I guess that's my fault. I'm sorry."

Mama shook her head at that. "No need to apologize. Come inside. Your parents are in the living room."

We followed her inside. I heard chattering coming from the living room.

"Who else is here?" I asked, curious.

"Your sisters," Mama replied. Then her face fell for a moment. "Except for Vika, of course." She sighed. "It's too bad she can't be here. It would've been nice to have the whole family together again. It's just been so long."

"There are still enough chances to get the family together, Olena," Rose said reassuringly. "Viktoria is doing better. She'll be with us soon."

Mama gave her a grateful smile, then pushed us into the living room. I spotted Rose's parents immediately in the corner, each of them holding a glass of champagne in their hands. My sister, Sonya, stood at a long table, selecting food on her plate.

I stopped in my tracks and stared. Was that a _buffet_? I glanced at Mama again, my eyes wide. She'd really outdone herself and I didn't even understand why. Was all this for us? Because Rose and I were visiting?

"What the hell," Rose whispered in my ear as she looked at the buffet as well.

"Hey, Dimka!" Karolina suddenly stepped into view and threw her arms around me. "It's so good to see you again."

"Y-you too," I stammered, caught off guard. Sonya looked up and waved at me when she saw me. "What is all this?"

Karolina looked at me funnily. "A party, of course! What else could it be?"

Ben came to say hello as well, while Paul was hiding behind his legs. Paul knew who I was, but he'd only seen me a few times because I'd been in jail for so long, so he was really shy around me.

"Aren't you going to say something to your uncle?" Karolina said sternly.

"Hi, uncle Dimka," he said, looking up at me with big eyes.

"Hey, Paul," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "Look how tall you've gotten since the last time I saw you!"

He looked proud at that. "I'm almost as tall as my dad now."

Ben laughed and ruffled his hair. "You wish, buddy."

"Go on, give your uncle a hug," Karolina said.

Paul removed himself from Ben's legs and stepped forward with his arms open. I scooped him up in my arms. "Whew! How many cookies have you been eating?"

He grinned shyly. "Cookies are good for my tummy."

I chuckled. "I bet they are. Want to say hi to my girlfriend?" Paul had only just been born when Rose and I were dating in high school. He wouldn't remember her now.

"Hey Paul," Rose said, smiling at him. "We've met before, but you were very little back then."

Paul eyed her curiously. Then he reached out with his chubby hands and grabbed one of Rose's curls, looking at it with interest.

"You like my hair?" Rose asked.

"It's really soft," Paul said, looking back up at me with wide eyes, as if in shock.

"Oh God, another Belikov who loves my hair," Rose said, laughing. "Seems like it runs in the family."

"Look at that! Are you two practicing?"

Rose and I both looked up when her parents approached. Abe was chuckling at his own joke, but Rose looked mortified.

"No," she said quickly.

"Don't tease your daughter," Janine said, elbowing her husband.

Abe shrugged. "It was just an observation. It's about time they start. I don't want to be an old man when we have grandkids. We should be able to take them to the zoo or the playground or whatever the hell they want to do."

"Oh my God, Dad," Rose exclaimed, her cheeks reddening. "Stop!"

I put Paul back down and he ran back to his parents, who were talking to Mama now. Sonya was still at the buffet, piling food on her plate.

"They just got back together," Janine said. "Let them be."

"All the more reason to start," Abe said. "Make up for lost time, you know."

"Stop it!" Rose said sharply, glaring at him.

She looked really upset, which I didn't quite understand, because obviously Abe was just teasing. But if he was serious about this, that was fine with me too. I'd love to have kids with Rose someday. Now wasn't really the perfect time because I'd just gotten a job. But if Abe already wanted grandchildren, he probably wouldn't mind if I told him I wanted to ask Rose to marry me.

"Alright, alright," Abe acquiesced. "I guess we should just be happy that you guys got back together." He looked at me and winked. "I bet that was a tough job because Rose has been pissed at you for a long time. I mean, we weren't even allowed to mention your name." He was grinning again. "You've got to tell me that story sometime."

Rose looked outraged now. "Dad, you're embarrassing me!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said, and he actually looked sorry for once. "I think I might be a little bit tipsy."

"Already?" Janine said, raising an eyebrow. She laughed. "You're getting old."

They launched into a discussion. Rose muttered something under her breath and excused herself. I watched her stalk off to the buffet.

"I guess she's still angry that I visited you in prison," Abe said, following my gaze. He shook his head wistfully. "I still remember when I told her. She threw a vase at me." He glanced at his wife, trying to hide his smile. "I'm telling you, she's as feisty as her mother."

Janine cut him a look. "She had every reason to be mad. No offense, Dimitri," she added hastily, looking at me.

"None taken," I said.

"But that's all in the past now, isn't it? I mean, she got back together with Dimitri," Abe shot back. He grinned at me and clapped my back. "And thank God for that. We couldn't have a better son-in-law than you."

I highly doubted that, but Abe wasn't finished yet. Maybe he really did have a little too much to drink.

"At least _you_ would do anything for our little girl," he continued. "I know she doesn't need protection – she can handle herself pretty well – but you _would_ do anything to protect her, even if you're hurting yourself in the process. Like when you broke up with her. It was the right thing to do at the time and it hurt, but you did it anyway."

"Abe," Janine warned. "That's enough now. Let's just talk about happy things tonight, shall we?"

"Yes, that's a good idea," Abe agreed, nodding. "I'm going to refill my glass. Excuse me."

Janine followed, protesting. I glanced back at Rose, who stood alone at the buffet, pushing her food around her plate. She looked sad. I started to frown, wondering what could be wrong. I was still certain she'd been crying earlier when she was with Lissa. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.

I started to walk over to her when Sonya stepped in front of me. "Hey brother. What's up?" she said, munching on a carrot. "You look well."

"Hey," I responded.

Before I could say anything else, she continued, "So you got back together with Rose. That's cool." She smiled. "I'm happy for you."

I returned her smile. "Thanks."

"Seems like I'm the only one without a partner," she sighed, taking another bite of her carrot. "But that's okay, I guess. I haven't met the right person yet and I enjoy my single life actually," she rambled. It seemed like Abe wasn't the only one who'd drunk too much champagne. "It's better than having to take care of two kids," she added, nodding at Karolina.

I frowned, confused. "Two kids?"

"She's pregnant again, didn't she tell you?" Sonya said. I stared at her, kind of in shock. She just shrugged. "I guess she'll tell you later. Don't say anything until she does," she warned before taking off. She stopped for a moment, thinking. "No, you know what, I'll make sure she tells you today." She grinned at me. "Something exciting should happen today, I think!"

I glanced back at Karolina, wondering why she hadn't said anything before. Did Mama already know? Or was Sonya the only one who knew?

Shaking my head, I walked over to Roza. She was still playing with her food and not eating. I slid my arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head. "Hey, milaya, you okay?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, almost nervous. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I glanced down at the pasta on her plate. "Not that hungry, huh?"

Rose shook her head. "You can have it if you want."

I hesitated. "Are you upset because of what your dad said?"

"No." She wouldn't look at me suddenly. "Why would I be?"

"Roza," I started.

Rose cleared her throat loudly. "I need to use the bathroom. Be right back."

I sighed heavily as she walked off in a hurry. Now I couldn't help but think that she was upset because of something _I_ had done. But if there was, I couldn't recall. Unless there really was still a part of her that was angry at me for the wrong I'd done her in the past. If that was the case, she was never going to want to marry me. But still… I had to try. I had to give it my all. And if – _when_ – I asked, I'd know her feelings for me at last.

But like I said to Christian earlier, the timing was all wrong. If whatever what was going through Rose's mind had nothing to do with me, then there was still _something_ that was troubling her. Something that made her not want to eat, which had to be a big thing because Rose _loved_ to eat. Another possibility that kept running through my mind was that Rose wasn't better at all, but that she was just pretending. Maybe she was still sick. But why did she feel like she had to hide that from me?

I realized there were a lot of _ifs_ flitting through my head and the only way to find out more was to ask Rose, but for some reason I was afraid. I bet Lissa knew what was wrong, though.

When Rose returned, she went over to talk to Mama. I wasn't sure if I should go over or leave her alone for a while. Before I could make a decision, Sonya suddenly called out, "Can I have everyone's attention, please? I have an announcement to make."

Oh God. She really was drunk. Next to her, Karolina was pulling at her sleeve and quietly protesting, but Sonya waved her away. "Or rather, my sister has an announcement to make."

"Sonya, stop," Karolina muttered, embarrassed.

"It's okay, you can tell them. You've waited long enough."

"What's happening?" Mama asked, confused. So that meant she didn't know yet. Huh. I thought Karolina would've told her first. Right now she probably regretted telling Sonya first.

Karolina gave Sonya an exasperated look. "Thanks a lot!" Turning around to face everyone, she said, "I'm pregnant." A slow smile spread across her face as she looked up at Ben. "We're having a girl."

There was a moment of silence and then everyone started congratulating the happy couple at once. I walked over as well to congratulate them and hugged my sister. Mama was so happy she had tears in her eyes. She wasn't the only one, though. To my surprise, Rose was crying and now everyone was looking at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"Nothing," she sniffled. "I'm just really happy for your sister and Ben." She wiped at her eyes. "It's really great news."

"Thanks, Rose," Karolina said, smiling.

"Hormones," Sonya laughed. She grabbed an empty glass from the table and filled it with champagne before handing it to Rose. "Here, that'll help."

Rose handed the glass back to Sonya. "No, thank you. I…" She bit down on her lip, nervous. "I've got a stomach ache."

I frowned, but held my tongue. She'd probably get upset if I fussed about her so instead I gave her hand a little squeeze.

When the party was finally over, Abe was so drunk that Rose decided to drive her parents home. I followed them with the rental car after saying good night to my family. My sisters were staying at Mama's and Paul would be staying in my old room so Rose and I were going to stay the night at her parents' place, just like we'd planned to do. I was kind of sad to leave them, though, but I reminded myself that I'd see them again tomorrow before Rose and I left for home.

When I arrived, Rose had already sent her parents to bed and was waiting for me at the front door. She locked everything up behind me and then we ascended the stairs to her room. It was strange going in there after all these years. Everything was still the same, except for the dreamcatcher hanging above her bed – it was now lying in the top drawer of her nightstand in her apartment.

"You looked breathtaking in that dress," I told her when we finally lay in bed. It was well past midnight, but I wasn't tired yet. Neither was Rose. I smiled at her and reached out to stroke her hair. "The bride's supposed to be the center of attention, but I think you're going to be all everyone will talk about when they see you in that dress."

Rose smiled, almost shy. "Don't let Lissa hear it. She'll strangle you in your sleep," she joked.

I shrugged. "But it's true."

Rose's smile faded. "I'm not going to wear that dress to the wedding," she said quietly, glancing away for a moment. "I'm sorry."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"The hem was ripped," she answered, unconvincing.

"I didn't see it."

"It was at the back. Besides, the zipper doesn't work either," she added quickly. "I struggled to get it off afterwards."

"Can't Lissa buy a new one for you?"

"Maybe," she said, looking away again. "I don't know."

"Okay," I said, stroking her hair again. "It doesn't matter. You'll look beautiful no matter what you wear." I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When I pulled back, I thought I saw tears glistening in her eyes, but I wasn't certain because the light in the room was dim. "You always do."

Rose rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "Don't you think it's strange?" she said, changing the subject. "After all these years, we're back here. Together. I never thought this would happen, you know."

"Me neither," I admitted, "but I'm grateful that we're here now – together. I'm grateful that you took me back."

She sighed. "We do have some good memories here," she mused. She rolled back onto her side, facing me. She smiled again. "Do you remember our first time? It was after Homecoming."

I grinned. "Of course I remember that. Best night of my life."

Rose scowled at me. "What's that supposed to mean? All the times we did it after that was crap, then?" The look on her face told me she was just joking around. She grinned back and said, "It was pretty amazing, yes."

"It's always amazing," I told her, running my hand over her thigh. I leaned in and kissed her again. " _You_ are amazing," I murmured, nuzzling her neck.

Rose laughed at that and wrapped her arms around me. "I've never met a man who gives so many compliments in one day."

I pressed my lips to her skin. "There's no man who loves you as much as I do."

She didn't respond, but I felt her arms tighten around me. I lifted my head to look at her and she smiled that sweet smile of hers, the one that was only for me. I loved that smile. I loved that everything seemed normal again between us; it was like the past few days never happened. In this moment, I felt like I could leave my worries behind. There was nothing wrong with her; I was just reading too much into things.

"We should go to the woods tomorrow," I suggested, grinning again. "Where we shared our first kiss, do you remember that place?"

Rose nodded. "How could I forget?"

My grin widened. I kissed her temple, her nose and then her soft lips. "I can't even imagine what my life would be like if you never bumped into me at school."

"Excuse me, you bumped into me!" Rose exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Fine, I bumped into you."

" _Twice_."

"Twice," I repeated, laughing.

She looked satisfied now. "You were such a tough guy back then," she said, messing up my hair. "Refusing to speak to me. Just glaring at me every time you saw me."

"I wasn't glaring," I argued, tickling her side. "I was staring in awe. You were just so gorgeous."

Rose snorted with laughter. "Didn't look that way."

"I was smitten with you from the moment we met, you know that," I insisted. "But I didn't think I'd have a chance with a girl like you."

"And we still wouldn't be together if I hadn't kissed you first," she teased.

"Hey, I would've found the courage," I said, frowning. I realized how stupid that sounded because I remembered I'd been scared as hell back then that Rose only wanted to be friends. She was right. I would've never dared take the first step. Probably. "Eventually," I added, a little less certain.

Rose looked like she was trying her hardest to hold her laughter so I started tickling her again and finally she burst out. "Stop, comrade," she exclaimed, trying to crawl away from me, but I pulled her right back to me and tickled her some more. "Oh God, that hurts!"

Suddenly, the door opened and slammed against the wall, startling us. I froze, my hands still under her shirt as Janine towered over us, looking pissed.

"It's late! We're trying to sleep," she whispered loudly. "I suggest you do the same!"

Rose bit her lip, hiding her grin. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Janine shook her head, hands on her hips. "It's like high school all over again," she muttered before walking out, closing the door behind her with a loud thud.

Rose started giggling then and whispered, "Oh my God. Get your hands away from under my shirt before she comes barging in again."

"Stop giggling, then I won't have to," I told her, grinning back at her.

"I should've locked the door. Didn't think that was still needed, though." She rolled her eyes and rolled away to switch off her bedside table lamp. When she rolled back, I put my hands on her sides again, which made her giggle again. "Don't even think about it."

I pouted at her, even though I knew she wouldn't see in the dark.

"You heard her, comrade. Go to sleep."She leaned in and pressed a swift kiss to my lips. "Tomorrow we'll take another trip down memory lane and go to the woods."

* * *

 _I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Merry Christmas to you all! :D_


	19. Chapter 19

_Happy New Year! :D_

 _Thank you so much for the reviews and well wishes. Unfortantely, I've been ill a little longer than expected, which is why I'm updating so late. My apologies! But without further ado, here's the new chapter! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 19**

 **RPOV**

It was cloudy when Dimitri and I left the house. I was actually a little bit cold in my red top so Dimitri offered me his sweater. I wish I'd been smart enough to pack my own jacket, but I guess I was too optimistic about the weather. When it was summer, I expected summer temperatures. How silly of me.

Soon Dimitri's sweatshirt would be the only thing that fit me, I realized. I wouldn't be able to wear this top or my cute shorts anymore. That thought alone made me want to break down into tears again, but I'd cried for far too many days already.

And after yesterday, Dimitri was growing suspicious again. He knew something was up after I'd had my fit at Lissa's. And then I'd refused alcohol at the party and had to go and burst out into tears when Karolina announced she was pregnant. I might as well have tattooed it on my forehead. At least I was certain Dimitri didn't suspect _that_ – yet. I didn't know how much longer I could hide it from him. He'd notice soon enough anyway, even if I didn't tell him.

I'd felt compelled to tell him last night, but then we started reminiscing and I didn't want to ruin the mood. I was having too much of a good time. I'd even been so happy that I'd let Dimitri touch me, which I hadn't allowed him to do all week because I was so afraid he'd know at once I was with child. But last night I forgot all about that fear for a moment. I knew it was stupid, but I was afraid all the same _. I only need to hold on a little longer. After my appointment I'll tell him…_

Suddenly, Dimitri reached for my hand and laced our fingers together, startling me out of my thoughts. "I think we're almost there," he said, breaking the silence.

I followed his gaze, recognizing the spot Dimitri and I used to hang out all the time. _Our spot._ When all my friends had left for college, I'd come here often because I had nothing else to do. This had also been my favorite spot to pine after Dimitri. It had sort of become _my_ spot after he had been imprisoned, a place where I could miss my boyfriend without my friends and family looking at me with pity in their eyes. A place where I didn't have to resent him for breaking up with me.

We sat down by the stream. I let go of Dimitri's hand to take off his sweatshirt; I'd warmed up from all the walking we'd done. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and listened to the birds chirping in the trees. This was actually pretty calming and I was glad we'd come back here. I was glad to come back here _with_ Dimitri.

When I opened my eyes, I found Dimitri watching me, a small smile across his face. I felt myself smile back before lying back in the grass and staring up at the grey sky. It would've been prettier if it was blue, and it seemed like the sun wasn't going to come out today.

Dimitri lay down beside me, silent. He was still looking at me, but the smile was no longer on his face. "Roza…" he said after a while. I could already hear the worry in his voice, and he'd only said my name.

"What?" I asked, though I knew what was about to come.

He rolled onto his side, moving closer. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" When I didn't reply, he continued, "I know there's something that's been troubling you. Maybe it's just that you've been so ill this past week. Or maybe it's something else. But whatever it is…you can tell me."

I nodded, but I didn't dare look at him. _Just a few more days…_ "I know."

He sighed when I said nothing else. "I don't want to push you so…come to me whenever you're ready."

He rolled onto his back again and stared up at the sky as well, silent now. A lone tear leaked out of the corner of my eye and I quickly wiped it away before Dimitri could see.

"Are you happy that you're going to have a niece?" I asked after a while. If I couldn't tell him yet, I could probe a little bit. _Subtly._ At least I hoped I was being subtle.

"Yeah," he said, smiling again. "I thought it was strange that she'd already told Sonya and not Mama."

"Maybe Sonya found out accidentally," I said with a shrug.

"Maybe," he agreed. "It'll be good for Paul to have a little sister. Someone to play with."

"So does that mean you want more than one kid?" I asked, looking at him now. _Not so subtle, Rose._

"Well, what do you want?" he returned.

"W-what do you mean?" I said, flustered.

He laughed. "What do you think I mean, Roza? If I'm going to have kids, it'll be with you. But first, I'd marry you of course." He paused. "That is, if you'll have me," he added in a teasing voice.

"What would you rather have?" I asked curiously. "A boy or a girl?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"But you want more than one?" I pressed.

"I don't know. That depends, I guess." Dimitri gave me a strange look. "What's up with all these questions about kids?"

 _On what does it depend?_ I thought anxiously. Instead of asking, though, I said quickly, "Nothing." I shrugged. "Just wondering."

A silence fell. I started gnawing on my lip, nervous. Had I been a little bit too obvious? Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut. Now he was really going to get suspicious.

"Would you…" Dimitri hesitated for a moment. "Would you marry me?"

My heart nearly stopped as I looked at his sincere face. _What?_ "Are you asking me right now?"

His eyes widened, and now he was the one all flustered. "Uh, no, I was just – I mean, if I'm going to propose I should do it the right way. You deserve more than this."

I sat up. "I don't need you to take me to a fancy dinner and pop the question in front of strangers." He frowned, almost as if he was confused. "Just saying," I added quickly. "It doesn't need to be…fancy. That's not important." What was important was that he _wanted_ to marry me, that it wasn't because he felt like he had to because of the baby growing inside of me. _What are you thinking, Rose?_ I chastised myself. _He hasn't proposed and he isn't going to propose anytime soon. I'll them way before that ever happens._

Dimitri started to say something, but I cleared my throat loudly. "Maybe we should head back now. We don't want to be late for lunch. My mom will have a fit," I lied.

"Okay," Dimitri said.

My dad wanted to have lunch with us at his favorite restaurant at the golf course. The one where Dimitri used to work. The one where that Galina chick couldn't keep her eyes off of my boyfriend. Oh yes, I still remembered her name and her pretty long blond hair and her slim waist and-

"Are you alright?" Dimitri interrupted my thoughts.

I snapped my head up, startled. "What?"

"You look angry," he said softly so my parents wouldn't hear as we filed into the car.

"I'm not," I returned in a hushed tone. "I was just thinking about how much I _don't_ want to go to that place."

"Me neither," Dimitri said. Then he shrugged. "It's only for an hour, though."

Dimitri and I didn't want to go to that restaurant for very different reasons, but I guess his reasons were more valid than mine. I honestly had no reason to be jealous because Dimitri had never showed any interest in Galina, other than that she was his coworker, but that girl was just so perfect that I couldn't help but feel jealous. I was kind of hoping she'd quit, but, halas, she still stood behind that damn bar when we entered.

I was glad when we were seated in the back of the restaurant. Hopefully that meant Dimitri would be left alone. This whole town knew about what happened to Dimitri's father and they all believed what Dimitri had told the judge and the police: that he was responsible for Kazimir's death. I wasn't sure how they'd feel about seeing Dimitri again, but I knew how Dimitri felt about being here.

"Shall we order wine for the table?" Dad said, picking up the menu.

"Don't you think you've had enough last night?" I muttered, shooting him a glare.

"Nonsense," he said amiably. "I think we shall have the house wine. It's very-"

"Oh my God, I knew it was you!"

I looked up with dread. Before us stood Galina, an excited grin fixed on her face as she looked at Dimitri. With a sigh, I slumped back against my seat. "Wonderful."

"Hello, Galina," Dimitri said politely.

Galina put her hand on his shoulder. "It's been so long! I had no idea you're back. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Dimitri answered, still in that polite, neutral voice. "How are you?"

She didn't reply to that. I figured she didn't hear it because she was gawking at him. "Look at you! You're a man now. And a very handsome one, too," she added with a wink, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Shameless," Mom muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Dimitri looked mortified and I stifled a giggle. This was actually pretty funny, but maybe I should help Dimitri out a little. Clearing my throat, I looked up at Galina again.

"Hey, remember me?" I said, faking a smile. Galina finally glanced over at me, and a flash of recognition crossed her face. "Yeah, that's right. Dimitri's girlfriend. I'm still here, too."

"So you two are still going out, huh?" she said. Her smile turned a little sour. "That's great."

"Yeah, it is," I agreed, leaning into Dimitri's side.

"Well… I should head back." Galina gazed at Dimitri for a moment longer. "It was nice seeing you." Suddenly, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "We should catch up sometime!"

"Lovely!" I said loudly. "Sounds like a plan!"

Dimitri glanced at me, horrified. "Rose."

"Oh," Galina started, her smile slipping again. "I meant…just the two of us. I don't really know you."

"I know what you meant," I said, glaring now. "But we're leaving tonight. Sorry."

I looked at Dimitri, waiting for him to say something. He looked panicked, like he wanted to run.

"Roza's right," he said at last. "We're leaving again so…" He cleared his throat. "Good to see you again."

Galina left, shoulders drooping and head down.

I smiled, satisfied, and picked up the menu. "That was fun."

"Awkward, you mean," Dad snorted. Then he gave Dimitri an apologetic look. "I probably shouldn't have brought you here. I forgot you worked here…"

"You helped him get the job," I said, incredulous. "How could you forget?"

"It's okay," Dimitri said quickly. "Really, it's fine."

The rest of our lunch was uneventful. A few of Dimitri's old coworkers stared, probably wondering about Dimitri's prison time. Some came to say hello, like Galina had, but thankfully none of them asked questions. Maybe they were afraid Dimitri would hurt them as well, which made me mad because Dimitri had never done anything wrong in his life. But of course they couldn't know that.

"Are you on some sort of diet?" Dad asked during lunch. "You don't need it, kiddo."

I frowned. "A diet? What makes you say that?"

"You barely eat and you aren't drinking any wine," he explained. "Yesterday was the same."

"I had the stomach flu," I lied. I felt Dimitri's gaze on me, but I ignored him. "I'm taking it easy."

He nodded in understanding. "How's the flower shop business?"

"It's fine," I answered. "Mia's doing well for herself."

"So when are you going to do something for _your_ self?" Dad asked.

"Abe, not now," Mom said sharply, giving him a warning look.

I pressed my lips together, dismayed. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," he said with a shrug before looking up at me. "College." When I said nothing, he said, "You know we'll pay for everything."

"I know," I said quietly.

"Same for you, kid," Dad added, looking at Dimitri now.

Dimitri's eyes widened. "Oh, no. That's not… It's too much."

Dad shrugged again. "It's no problem. We've got the money."

I stared at my dad, shocked. He'd pay for Dimitri's education as well? "Are you serious?"

"Of course we are."

Mom smiled. "Just think about it, honey." She glanced over at Dimitri. "The both of you."

 _What the hell._

It wasn't mentioned again that day. The only thing they asked of us when we said our goodbyes was that we should think it through and let them know.

We dropped by at Olena's house on the way over to Lissa and Christian's. Both his sisters were still there so we stayed a while to talk. His face brightened when he talked to them and I realized how much he must miss him. He didn't see them that often after all. Maybe we should move back closer to home so he could see his family more often.

 _Where are your thoughts, Rose? Marriage. A house. What's next?_ I didn't know what was up with me, but I kept making plans for a future inside my head, a future with Dimitri. _I'm just thinking about this because my hormones are in overdrive. It's too soon to settle down._ I tried not to think back to our embarrassing talk from this morning, when Dimitri and I were visiting our spot, about kids and marriage. I must've freaked him out. And if I was being completely honest, I freaked _myself_ out.

When we had dinner with Lissa and Christian at their house that evening, I was still pondering about what was the better choice. Stay in Helena, in our tiny apartment, or move back closer to home so that we could see our families more often? That is, if Dimitri still wanted me…and the baby. I knew I was overthinking this way too much, but how could I not? This was a huge and sudden change in my life and I needed a plan if I wanted to stop worrying so much.

I was actually so worried at the moment that I took seconds, which had been a long time. _Screw the nausea. I need food right now._ "Your mac and cheese is amazing, Christian." I looked at Lissa and smiled, albeit a little forced. "At least he's useful for something."

"Hey, I'm useful for a lot of things," he protested, scowling. Lissa elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a pointed look. "But thanks," he added quickly.

We didn't stay too long because we still had a three-hour long drive back to Helena. As we hugged each other, Lissa whispered in my ear, "Stop worrying. Just wait until you see the doctor."

I sighed.

"It's going to be okay, Rose," she said, squeezing her arms around me a little tighter. "I'm here for you."

I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Liss."

On our drive back, Dimitri and I didn't say much the first half hour. The songs playing on the radio were getting on my nerves – they were all love ballads – and the last thing I wanted right now was to get emotional over a song. So instead, I turned into my seat and grabbed my purse from the backseat.

"Look what I found in your room today!" I told him, grinning, as I held up his 80's box. I wasn't really thrilled about this either, but it was better than the ballads. Besides, Dimitri loved his 80's music. When I'd sneaked into his old bedroom earlier today, just to see it once again, I found the CD on his desk, gathering dust.

Dimitri shook his head, smiling. "We don't have to listen to that, Roza."

I'd already inserted the CD and hit Play. "It's okay. I want to."

I started moving to the music as the song 'Should I stay or should I go' by The Clash started playing. Oh man, did we really have to start with that one? _Better make the most of it now_ , I told myself. So I started to sing along, which made Dimitri laugh. "Come on, sing with me!"

"No way," he laughed. "I can't sing like you do."

"It's fun!" I said, urging him on. "Come on!"

Dimitri shook his head again, still smiling.

"If you say that you are mine," I said, singing louder, leaning over to his side. He looked over at me, his smile widening. "I'll be here till the end of time," he sang along with me, finally.

"So you got to let me know," I almost yelled, really feeling the song now, "should I stay or should I go?"

When the song was over, I flashed him a grin. "So what's the verdict? Should I stay or should I go?"

He sneaked in a quick kiss before focusing on the road again. "Stay of course," he answered, reaching over with his hand to squeeze my knee.

We kept singing like that until we had to make a pit stop at the gas station. While Dimitri filled up the tank, I went in search for a bathroom. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to use the restroom unless I bought something in the store so I bought us two sodas and Skittles. When I walked out of the store, Dimitri had parked the car off to the side. He leaned against the hood, waiting. I skipped over to him and handed him a soda.

"I think we deserve some refreshments after yelling for over an hour," I said, opening my can and taking a large gulp. "My throat hurts a little."

Dimitri chuckled. " _You_ yelled. I sang."

"I had to sing for the both of us," I exclaimed. "You were too quiet."

"I see you got your appetite back," Dimitri said, nodding at the Skittles. "That's good."

I wasn't sure how to respond so I made a joke instead. "Yeah, it's quite something. Especially after the way Galina flirted with you. I almost gagged then, but I managed to keep it down." I could hardly tell him that I was emoeating. Telling him that I had to eat for two now wasn't an option yet either. _Let's hope that mac and cheese stays down tonight._ "Hold out your hand."

Dimitri did as I told him. I turned the bag of Skittles over and let them tumble into Dimitri's hand. "Can I have the red ones? You can keep the rest."

"Sure, Roza," he said as I started picking them out of his hand. An amused expression crossed his face as he regarded me. "I thought it was kinda cute," he said at last, a smile tugging at his lips, as he popped a Skittle into his mouth.

"What?" I asked, propping all the red Skittles in my mouth at the same time.

Dimitri was grinning now. "You know. When Galina came to say hi, you were all jealous." He shrugged. "It was cute."

I scowled at him. "I wasn't jealous!"

"No?" he said in a teasing voice.

"No!" I exclaimed, indignant. "I just don't like the girl. She looks too perfect." I paused, kicking at a pebble at my feet. "And way too interested in you," I muttered under my breath.

"Ha!" he said, triumphant. "So you care enough about me to get jealous."

"Of course I care about you, asshole!" I threw a Skittle at his face, but he caught it. He was laughing again as I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You caught _that_?"

"Seems like it," he said with mock arrogance before popping it into his mouth.

"Did I tell you yet you're an asshole?" I said, crossing my arms.

"But you love me," he said, winking. He set his soda down on the hood of the car and walked over to me. "You can admit it now."

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed when he put his arms around my waist and started to lift me, almost making me spill my own soda. He didn't put me down, though. The salesclerk and one or two costumers were looking at us from the window. Another man stared at us as he filled his tank, and I was still yelling at Dimitri to put me back down. "Where are you taking me?"

Dimitri just laughed and kept walking toward the back of the building. An idea suddenly hit me. If he was allowed to tease, then so was I. I gripped the soda can in my hand a little bit tighter and held it above the back of his neck, spilling it. Dimitri yelped as the cold lemonade ran down his back and dampened the collar of his shirt. I started laughing hysterically when I saw the startled look on his face.

"You think that's funny, huh?" Dimitri said, though he couldn't keep the grin off of his face. He grabbed the can from my hands and threw it in the trash before throwing me over his shoulder, ignoring my protests.

When he finally set me down, we were behind the store and away from the audience who'd been watching us outside.

"W-what are we doing back here?" I asked, breathless from yelling at him.

Dimitri didn't respond. Instead, he pushed me against the wall and pressed his lips against mine. I was caught off guard for a moment, but then I relaxed my back against the wall and let him kiss me senseless. When he finally pulled away, I was breathless once again, my chest heaving and my heart pounding.

"What was that for?" I asked at last.

He smiled, satisfied. "I really wanted to kiss you, but without that creepy guy staring at us. You were making quite the scene. And," he added, pulling at his collar, "you ruined my shirt."

"If you wanted to make out with me behind the gas station, you should've just said so," I answered with a grin.

"I was trying to be spontaneous," Dimitri said, returning my grin. He tugged at my hand and I followed him back to the car.

"Well, your spontaneous outburst was very fun," I teased.

"Glad you enjoyed it." We were back at the car. Dimitri leaned back against the hood and picked up his soda can, taking a sip. "You want the rest?" he asked, offering it to me.

I stepped forward so that I was standing between his legs. Feeling thirsty, I took the can from him and drank until it was empty. "So when is our next pit stop?"

Dimitri smiled. "We still have a long way to go so this is our only pit stop, I'm afraid. Enjoy it while you can."

"That's too bad." I pouted. "I was looking forward to our next spontaneous make out session."

"We'll have one in the backseat of the car when we're home," Dimitri said, only half joking.

"Now it's not spontaneous anymore, comrade," I complained. Then I grinned. "But I like your thinking."

Dimitri chuckled. "We haven't changed much, have we? Still acting like teenagers."

I grabbed his hands, lacing our fingers together. "Is that so bad?"

He smiled, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "No, I guess not." Then his smile faded and he lifted his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're very brave, you know."

I frowned, confused. "Why do you say that?"

He shrugged. "It's true." He glanced at the car. "I thought you might feel uncomfortable with me driving the car after…" He cleared his throat. "After the accident. But you never said anything on our way to Columbia Falls and you didn't look unsettled."

"The accident wasn't your fault, Dimitri," I said, not liking how serious our conversation just got. "It wouldn't have happened if not for your dad."

"I know, but other people might be scared of climbing back into a car after going through something like that," he explained, "but not you. You're so strong and so very brave."

"You're not scared either," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wasn't really hurt," he shot back. "You were in a coma for a week. I mean…that's pretty scary if you think about it." I looked down. If only he knew how big of a coward I really was. If I was brave, I would have already told him about the pregnancy. I wasn't even brave enough to say three simple words. The words I knew he wanted to hear so desperately. _I love you._

I looked back up at him, opening my mouth. _Just say it now. Tell him you love him. He needs to hear it._ But all that I managed to say was, "Thanks, comrade. That's nice of you to say."

I let go of his hand and turned away to throw the soda can into the trash. I opened the car door to get in, but Dimitri stopped me. I glanced up at him, a questioning look on my face, but he just smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Then I watched him walk to the driver's side and get in.

I wasn't brave at all.

* * *

 _So what did you think of Rose and Dimitri's conversation? Was Rose being a little bit too obvious? I hope you liked the chapter! Next one will be up on Sunday - hopefully (if I don't have a relapse) and a lot of things will happen, things you've all been waiting for, I believe! :D_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	20. Chapter 20

_Thank you very much for the reviews and the well wishes! I'm sorry I didn't update on Sunday. Today I'm feeling a little bit better so I decided to update!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 20**

 **RPOV**

When I walked out of the doctor's office, I was crying. Clutching the ultrasound to my chest, I sank down to the kerb and sat there until I ran out of tears. The past two weeks had been agony as I waited for my appointment, trying to hide the pregnancy from Dimitri, pretending I was feeling fine. But now I felt like I could finally breathe again.

I was six weeks pregnant, meaning that Dimitri was the father. I hadn't believed the doctor at first so I'd made her swear to me she was speaking the truth. And when I finally believed her, the sobbing had started. All the tension and anxiety had finally left my body. And I hadn't stopped since, but these were happy tears. Dr. Olendzki had looked at me with a lot of concern, but I'd assured her I was just expressing my relief. Now I could finally tell Dimitri. While that scared me, it didn't scare me half as much as not knowing who the father was.

Dr. Olendzki had also given me a few a tips for managing my morning sickness. I wasn't looking forward to drinking ginger ale and eating dry, plain foods, though. But I had no choice than to try because I didn't want to be nauseous all the time either.

Drying my eyes, I got up and walked to the bus stop. After one last look, I tucked the ultrasound into my purse. It had taken me five minutes to find my baby in the picture, even after Dr. Olendzki had pointed it out. I thought it kind of looked like a peanut.

As I sat on the bus, I tried to figure out how I was going to tell Dimitri. I wasn't sure if he'd be happy. I mean, I hadn't exactly been happy either when I'd found out. But I was happy now – more or less. I was happy that Dimitri was the father. I wouldn't want to have a child with anyone else, but the fact still remained: Dimitri and I had only just gotten back together and I still had a lot of issues that needed to be addressed. Like telling Dimitri I loved him.

On my way back home, I stopped by at Ivan's apartment. I kind of wanted to talk to him about Dimitri, but I wasn't certain if I should. Maybe he'd go running to Dimitri as soon as I'd left the building. After all, he was Dimitri's friend first.

I hesitated for a brief moment, but then knocked on his door. When Ivan appeared in the doorway, he gave me a warm smile and said, "Hey Rose!" Then he glanced down the hallway. "You alone?"

"Dimitri's at work," I answered.

Ivan stepped back to let me in. He gestured for me to sit on the couch and asked if I wanted anything to drink. "Water's fine," I said quietly.

"So what brings you here?" Ivan asked after handing me a glass of tap water.

I took a big gulp, stalling. "Umm… I'm actually here to talk about Dimitri," I said at last.

Ivan sat down next to me, crossing his legs. "Dimitri?"

I nodded. "Yeah…" I scratched my head, nervous. "Has he talked to you recently?"

"Sure," he said. Then he grinned. "He actually came to visit me yesterday."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Really? W-why?"

There was a mischievous look in his eyes as he answered, "He just needed some advice, that's all."

"Advice about what?" I asked curiously.

Ivan shrugged. "I can't tell you, but you'll find out soon enough."

I frowned. "You're being really cryptic."

There was that playful grin again. "I know."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled reluctantly. "You're so weird."

Ivan ran a hand through his hair. "I believe you wanted to talk about Dimitri."

"Yeah, I was wondering…" I started slowly. Ivan arched an eyebrow at me, a question look on his face. "Has he talked about me lately? Like..." I sighed, feeling frustrated because I didn't know how to phrase it. "Is he worried?"

Ivan furrowed his brows. "Why? Does he need to be worried about you?"

"No," I said quickly, "but I know he does. I was just wondering if he mentioned anything to you...about me."

"You wonder a lot." I cut him a look and gave out a short laugh. "Sorry. Just an observation."

"So?" I said impatiently.

"Well, he said you haven't been feeling well lately," Ivan responded, gauging my reaction. "But that's all." He paused. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," I lied. "I just don't want him to be worried all the time."

"Why don't you tell him?"

"I already have."

I realized I wasn't going to get far without giving away my secret. Ivan was never going to be able to answer my question if I didn't tell him the truth. But I couldn't do that yet; Dimitri deserved to know first. That was only the right thing to do. Besides, I'd already told Lissa. That was different, though. It wouldn't be fair of me to tell Dimitri's friend before I told him.

"I'm sorry," I said suddenly, getting up. "I shouldn't have come."

"No, that's okay," he said. "You're always welcome here."

I offered him a smile. "Thanks, but I… I should really talk to Dimitri."

He smiled, too. "Yeah, maybe you should." He walked me back to the door. "Sorry I couldn't help you."

I stopped shortly. "Do you know how Dimitri feels about babies?"

Ivan gave me a strange look. "That's a really weird question, Rose."

"I mean, do you think he'd want one?" I asked, flushing. "In the near future?" _Oh God, I'm so stupid. Now he knows._ Before he could answer, I muttered, "Never mind."

I almost ran out the door, ignoring Ivan's calls. He didn't run after me, though, for which I was grateful. "You're such an idiot, Rose," I cursed myself, shaking my head _. Ugh._ I really should just get this over with instead of asking Dimitri's friends if they thought he wanted children right now. I was being ridiculous.

As I rode home on the bus, I had time to reflect on my behavior these past few weeks. I really had experienced a lot of anxiety and paranoia when it came to Dimitri, not knowing how he was going to react to the news. But now, as I glanced down at the ultrasound again, at my little peanut, I finally realized that it had been unnecessary.

I admitted that having to tell Dimitri that I was pregnant was scary, but I also knew that Dimitri wanted kids with me one day. If he wasn't ready now and didn't want to take responsibility, then screw him. Whatever his reaction would be, I'd finally know if he was truly trustworthy and knowing that was worth something, even if it ended up in heartbreak again. If he didn't want this baby, I had my answer. I'd know what I'd have to do.

All this time I'd been scared that Dimitri would ditch me again if it wasn't his baby or if he wasn't ready right now, but I never stopped to think what my feelings were about the life growing inside of me. I wasn't ready yet either, but the longer I looked at the small blip on the ultrasound the more I started to _want_ this. I was going to keep our baby. I would keep it and raise it, with or without Dimitri's help. And I shouldn't have to be afraid of telling him. I _wasn't_ afraid – not anymore.

There was also another option that might happen, that Dimitri _would_ take his responsibility and marry me for the sake of our child. If that was his only reason for wanting to marry me, my answer would be a firm no, though. _But_ , I thought, _this option is unlikely._

With a determined heart, I unlocked my front door. Dimitri wouldn't be home yet so I still had some time to prepare a speech. Maybe I could cook us dinner and tell him then. Not that I would be eating much of it.

A gasp escaped my lips as I pushed open the door and I stopped short, looking around with wide eyes. The apartment was lit with candles _everywhere._ On the floor, on the furniture, it was all around me. The candles on the floor made a path towards the table, where more candles stood flickering, among my favorite kind of chocolates and…a small velvet jewelry box.

"Oh God," I choked out as I stared at it, my hand clamped over my mouth. My heart was pounding and it only picked up more speed when Dimitri appeared in the bedroom's doorway, all dressed up in dark jeans and a white button-up shirt. _This is not going as planned. Shit._ "Dimitri, what…what are you doing?" I asked, even though it was obvious.

He walked over to the table, picking up the box. My eyes flicked from the box to him. He was smiling at me, and then he started to get down on one knee. "I love you, Roza. I love you with all my heart. I don't want us to be apart ever again."

Oh my God. What was he doing? Did he know?

"No, wait!" I exclaimed suddenly, as I stepped forward and yanked him upright. There was confusion written all over his face as he looked at me. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think this through. Was he proposing because he _knew_ or was this all just a coincidence? Maybe Ivan figured it out and called him.

All of a sudden, option number three seemed more likely than the other two.

"Roza, I know we haven't been back together for that long," Dimitri started, hesitant, "but I also know that I love you. I will always love you and I want to marry you. I want us to build a life together. We've already had to wait long enough – and I know I am to blame for that-"

"D-do you know?" I interrupted, biting on my lower lip. Unconsciously, I put a hand on my stomach. "You know, don't you? That's why you're proposing."

Dimitri frowned. "Know what?" he asked. He sounded really confused. "Roza, what are you talking about? I'm proposing to you because I'm in love with you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

He looked so sincere, I felt stupid for doubting him. I shouldn't have. Dimitri would always do the right thing, I knew that, but I also knew that he truly loved me. He wasn't doing this because I was pregnant. And by the looks of it, he really did not know. How he hadn't figured it out yet was beyond me. Maybe I was better at keeping secrets than I thought.

"I need to tell you something," I said, starting to feel nervous. "It's important that you know before you…do this," I added, waving my hands around. I didn't want to think too much about the fact that he just tried to propose to me just yet. I might faint if I did, because it was all too much at the same time.

Dimitri looked uncertain. "Did I not do it right? I thought you wanted it be at home… I mean, you said…" He was stammering, nervous as well. I stepped forward and wrapped my hand around his, feeling a little bit teary-eyed. "No, this is perfect. I just… I can't let you do this if you don't know what you're getting into."

"Roza, you're scaring me," he said, his voice trembling a little bit. "What's going on?"

"Maybe you should sit down."

He did as I told him. I stared at him for a long time, unable to form any words. Shit. Maybe I was still a little bit scared after all.

Dimitri reached out and gave my hand a little squeeze. "Don't be scared. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm pregnant," I blurted out, looking at his face to gauge his reaction. He just stared at me, his expression blank. Yep, he was definitely telling the truth when he said he didn't know what I was talking about. "I'm pregnant," I repeated, proud that my voice was steady and firm now, "and you're the father."

His jaw dropped. "Y-you're pregnant?" he stammered after a few moments.

I cleared my throat. "For six weeks now and…it's why I've been sick lately. I'm sorry." I was sweating like a pig, I was so nervous. My hands were all clammy and it felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest, but I kept going. "I know you're wondering how this could happen, but I'm afraid I've been a little bit careless in taking my birth control pill." He was still staring at me, and I sighed. "The timing's all wrong, I know."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked frowning. "I've been so worried about you. I knew you were hiding something, but I would have never guessed…"

I looked down at my feet. "I was scared." Taking a deep breath, I looked back up at him. "I was making up scenarios in my head that could happen."

"What kind of scenarios?"

I shrugged, embarrassed. "That you'd break up with me…or the opposite. That you'd want to do the right thing and marry me out of duty or something like that."

Dimitri looked sad. "I'm so sorry, Roza. Because of the mistakes I've made in the past you've been so worried about what I was going to say or do." He sighed. "I wish you felt like you could talk to me and trust me. But it's my own fault you can't."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault – not entirely. It's true that I have trust issues because of what happened between us in the past," I admitted. "But it's _my_ fault that I keep using it as an excuse instead of working on it."

Dimitri looked miserable, but I was pretty sure it was because he believed it was all his fault.

"I know you love me," I told him. "There's no person in this world who loves me as much as you do, although you have strange ways of showing it sometimes," I added, giving a short laugh. My smile disappeared and I sighed. "I've been scared that you'll walk out again when the slightest problem arises and that's why I've kind of been blocking you off whenever you express your feelings for me and I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry."

"Roza, no," he said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't have to apologize. You're not at fault here."

"It's no one's fault, really," I answered. He was about to protest, but I cut him a look. Taking a deep breath, I said, "I did some thinking on the bus and... I've realized now that I can live without you."

He looked up at me, his eyes wide. "Roza," he said, his voice breaking.

"And you can too," I continued, unwavering. "I mean, we did it for six years."

Dimitri looked aghast. "W-what are you saying?

"I'm saying it might be hard on us, at least for a while, but we can," I answered. "But…I don't want to. Because I love you." _There, I said it._ I finally said those three words and I couldn't have felt more relieved.

"I don't want to either," he whispered, taking my hand in his. "I really don't want to. I love you so much." He got up and cupped my face, looking at me pleadingly. "I know I've said to you before that I won't ever hurt you again, but I realize now that I can't promise that. But I can promise you that I won't hurt you intentionally. I can promise that I'll take care of you and our baby as best as I can." He placed a hand on my belly and a small smile crept onto his face. "And I will. I will take care of the both of you."

I smiled back, glad that I'd said everything that needed to be said. "That's good to know." I paused, waiting for Dimitri to look back up at me. "I really do love you, Dimitri," I said sincerely when he finally did.

He looked so relieved that I felt guilty for scaring him the way I had. Leaning in, he kissed me passionately. "I love you too, Roza," he murmured against my lips before enfolding me in a tight embrace. When he pulled back to look at me, he was shaking his head. "I can't believe I've been such an idiot. I should've known there was something going on. I mean, I did know there was _something_ you were upset about, but I had no idea…" He looked down at my stomach in wonder, then sighed. "I feel so foolish."

"Don't be," I told him gently. "I did everything I could to hide it from you until my first appointment."

"Now I get it," he said, amazed. "Now I finally get it. You getting sick all the time, especially in the mornings, crying over Karolina's pregnancy, talking about kids and stuff, and that dress! That's why you were so upset at Lissa's. It's all starting to make sense now."

"You don't have to sum up all of my odd behavior now," I said, half laughing. "I already know I've been acting strange."

Dimitri grinned before kissing me soundly. "I can't believe I'm going to be a father!" He paused, frowning. "I should probably find a second job."

"We'll figure something out," I told him. "But let's not worry about that right now."

I sat down at the kitchen table and motioned for him to sit down as well. He did, pulling his chair next to mine, before pressing his hand to my belly again, grinning again. Pulling the ultrasound from my purse, I handed it to Dimitri.

"Meet our peanut," I said, smiling as I pointed out the blip in the photograph.

Dimitri's excited grin widened as he looked at it. Then he looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. "You calling our baby a peanut?" he said, amused.

"It looks just like a peanut!" I returned, quick to defend myself.

"Maybe a little bit," he admitted as he looked back at the ultrasound. Then he sighed. "I wish I could've been there with you. When did you go?"

"Today," I answered. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "You can come next time."

He nodded, smiling again. He looked completely mesmerized as he stared at the photograph, at our little baby. How could I have ever thought he wouldn't want it?

"I'm sorry I ruined your proposal," I said after a while. "I hadn't expected you would…"

I fell silent, thinking back to our moment in the woods by my old house. He'd asked me if I'd want to marry him, and for a moment I'd thought he was asking me right then and there. But he'd actually been subtly probing if I would ever want to marry him, like I'd been probing him if he wanted to have kids one day.

"Did you see Ivan today?" I asked instead.

"Yeah, I was nervous about tonight," Dimitri admitted, "so I wanted some advice, but I didn't get much there. Only that I had to grow some balls and just do it." I laughed and he rolled his eyes. "Why?"

I shrugged, smiling to myself. "No reason." I unwrapped a chocolate truffle and popped it into my mouth. "So…are you still going to propose tonight?"

Dimitri looked hopeful. "Y-you want me to?"

I grinned. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to. Besides, I really want to see the ring."

"Okay," he said eagerly. He grabbed the velvet box from the table. He held it out to me, but then snatched it back. "This was supposed to be way more romantic," he said frowning. "Are you sure you want me to do it right now? I can do better than this, really. You deserve better."

"I don't care," I told him. "It _was_ romantic – until I stopped you and dropped a bomb on you."

Dimitri smiled nervously as he opened the box and held it out for me again. My eyes widened and I let out a small gasp as I stared at the ring in awe. "Is that a diamond?" I exclaimed.

He nodded, looking uncertain. "Do you like it?"

I was still eyeing the diamond with my mouth wide open. There were several smaller stones embedded on the white gold band. It was elegant and subtle – not too big and catchy – just the way I liked it.

"I love it," I said, looking back up at him. "It's gorgeous."

Dimitri was smiling now. "I don't remember my speech so I'm just going to ask you now." I sat up straighter in my chair, trying to contain my excitement, which made Dimitri's smile widen. "Will you marry me, Roza?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, already holding out my hand. "Yes, I will."

Dimitri slid the ring onto my finger, barely able to contain his own excitement now. He looked up at me and before he could say anything, I leaned in and kissed him with fervor as I wrapped my arms around his neck. By the time I pulled away from him, I was sitting in his lap.

Dimitri was grinning at me again, excited. "We're going to be a family, Roza," he said, almost in disbelief.

I smiled, happy tears in my eyes. This morning I never would have imagined anything like this would happen. My scenarios had always ended badly, but I'd never imagined it would turn out fine. But this was more than fine. This was… I honestly had no words for it.

"Yes, Dimitri," I said softly, running my hand through his hair. "We're going to be a family."

* * *

 _There you go! This story has almost come to an end, but there are still a few chapters to go. I can imagine some of you find this chapter surprising or sudden, but I hope you liked it nonetheless! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	21. Chapter 21

_Thank you so much for the amazing response to the last chapter! I was kinda scared you wouldn't like it, but you did! Yay! :D I'm going to speed things up a little bit so you can get titbits from the pregnancy and Romitri's life! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 21**

 **DPOV**

Time passed quickly after my proposal to Rose. It seemed like we had too little time on our hands to organize and plan everything that needed to be planned. Even though Rose was still at an early stage, I couldn't wait to tell my family so the next morning I called Mama to share the news. She cried for nearly half an hour on the phone. My sisters didn't get as emotional as my mother, thank God, so those phone calls were shorter. I decided to tell Viktoria in person, seeing as a visit was due. Rose came with me and showed off her engagement ring to my squealing sister.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she exclaimed, gleeful, clapping her hands together. "You guys are getting married! I can't believe this."

"That's not everything," I told her, barely able to hide the excitement in my own voice. I looked at Rose, waiting for her to give me the green light. When she nodded, I said, "We're having a baby."

My sister's eyes widened in shock. Then she looked Rose up and down, grinning. "You're pregnant? Oh my God!"

"Jeez, Vika," Rose said, amused, "how many times are you going to say ' _oh my God_ '?"

"Oh my God," Viktoria exclaimed again. She was so loud other residents were looking at us, but she didn't seem to care. She sprang up from the couch and pulled the both of us in an embrace. "I'm so happy for you guys! Congratulations!" She hugged Rose extra long before sitting back down. "How far along are you?"

"Six weeks," Rose answered. She pulled out the ultrasound from her purse and handed it to my sister. "Here's our peanut."

"Your peanut?"

"It looks like a peanut," Rose said with a shrug.

"It kinda does," Viktoria admitted, laughing. "I'm going to be an auntie again." She smiled up at me. "Our family is getting bigger and bigger. Karolina's baby will only be a few weeks older than yours. They can be play mates!"

Rose's parents were just as excited as my family, especially Abe. I recalled him whining about wanting to be a grandfather at the surprise party at Mama's. I guess now his wish had come true. Maybe a little bit sooner than expected, but that didn't matter. He wanted to pay for the wedding, much to Rose's annoyance, but after a lot of nagging on his part she finally allowed him to. Though we didn't have a date yet, Lissa was already planning our wedding, which I thought was funny, since she hadn't had her own wedding yet.

Of course Lissa had already known about the pregnancy. Rose had told her when we visited our friends. That's why she'd been crying at Lissa's, I knew now. Christian felt very satisfied with himself that he'd guessed Rose was pregnant. He never let an opportunity pass by without rubbing it in Rose's face.

During one of our dinners with our friends, to which we'd invited Ivan as well so he could get to know our group of friends, Rose told them about our engagement and the baby. They'd been so loud in congratulating us that the hostess politely asked us to leave if we didn't quiet down.

I went in search for a second job, but after several weeks of busting my ass off in two different restaurants, Rose pleaded with me to quit.

"I know we're going to need all the money we can get for when the baby comes," Rose said to me, "but this isn't worth it. You're barely home. You barely sleep. You need to _rest_."

"Roza, it's okay. It's only for a little while," I reassured her. "Until we have enough to rent something bigger."

She shook her head. "No, I can't ask this of you."

"You don't have to. I want to do it."

"But working two jobs is draining you," she argued. "You're exhausted."

While that was true, I wasn't going to give in so easily. We really needed that money if we wanted to move to a bigger place.

"Roza," I started, sighing.

She put her hands on my chest. "Please, comrade. Think about your health."

That made me laugh. Shaking my head, I said, "Milaya, you don't need to worry about _my_ health." I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her. "Your health is way more important right now. Yours and the baby."

"Peanut is doing fine," she said, putting her hand on her stomach. "I'm fine too. You're not."

It still amused me that she was calling our baby ' _peanut_ '. She'd always had a knack for inventing ridiculous nicknames. I hoped she wasn't actually going to name our baby _peanut_ , though.

"Rose," I said, quiet but firm, "we're not going to be able to pay for a house if I don't-"

"We'll loan from my parents," she interrupted.

I arched an eyebrow, surprised. "Did I hear that right? You want to loan from your parents?"

An annoyed expression crossed her face. "Yes," she said tersely. I knew this was hard for her, which is why it surprised me all the more when she said, "I already spoke to them about it."

I frowned. "When?"

She shrugged. "A few days ago. Does it matter?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"I'm telling you now," she returned. Crossing her arms, she muttered reluctantly, "We actually don't have to loan if we accept their gift."

I looked at her, confused. "What gift?"

Rose cleared her throat, seeming uncomfortable. "Their wedding gift," she mumbled, not looking at me.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

She looked up at me, biting on her lower lip. "A house," she admitted after a few moments.

I stared at her, incredulous. "A house?"

She nodded.

I felt light-headed all of a sudden. Was she serious right now? "A _house_ as a wedding gift?"

Rose clenched her jaw. "I know it's a little bit much-"

"A little bit?" I interrupted. "He's already paying for the wedding."

"I know!" Rose exclaimed. "But we can't exactly forbid him to do it, right? I mean, he's going to do it anyway. You know how he is."

I rubbed my forehead, trying to clear my head. "Was he really a banker?" I asked, feeling very confused right now. "Where does he keep getting all that money?"

"Could be that he stole it from his own bank," she deadpanned. I stared at her, almost believing her, when she smiled. "Come on, comrade. It's not that bad."

I sighed, defeated. "But I'm supposed to take care of you now. Not your dad."

"You _are_ taking care of me," she said firmly. "Of _us_ ," she added, placing her hand on her baby bump again. "Dad just wants to help out." She paused. "He said I could choose: either he pays for our education or a house. Seeing as neither of us wants to go to college, I'm thinking a house is the best option. It's what we _need_ for our baby. I don't want to raise our child in the city, but the houses in the suburbs are expensive. We could use some help. Even I can admit that."

Rose looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. And then she started batting her eyelashes at me. I groaned, knowing I was about to give in.

"Roza, don't give me that look," I said in a whiny voice. But instead she grasped my hands and looked at me more desperately. "Fine," I sighed. "It's your dad. If he wants to help you out so badly, I have nothing to say about it, really."

"Don't be sad, comrade," she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I know you feel like you have to take care of all that stuff, but it's okay to accept help from time to time."

"You're one to talk," I snorted, though a reluctant smile crept onto my face as I wrapped my arms around her as well. She looked up, glaring at me playfully. "What? It's true."

"Are you going to quit your second job now?" she asked.

"I guess," I answered.

She smiled, hugging me a little tighter. "Thank you. If it cheers you up, we can always pay him back. In time."

"As if he's going to allow that," I muttered.

"Probably not." Rose shrugged. "If we have any money left, we'll try to return it to him, but I have a feeling he won't accept that either. So I was thinking, just in case, that we should put it into our peanut's bank account. For later."

Now that was an idea I liked. "We should probably visit your parents soon, then, and thank them in person for doing this."

After a week, I had to admit that working one job was much less exhausting so maybe it wasn't so bad after all that Abe wanted to help out. Though I would pay him back, if he'd let me. I was able to spend more time with Roza and the baby again. While she watched TV – or rather, napped in front of the TV – I read one of my western novels to the baby in the hopes that it would recognize my voice once he or she was born.

We went back to Columbia Falls for a few days to visit her parents and thank them. We were going to visit Mama as well, but we found her at Rose's parents' house. They'd probably filled her in that we were coming. Abe and Mama were crying happy tears when they saw Rose's growing baby bump.

"Don't worry about Abe, I think he's in his menopause," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm a man, Janine," he shot back, scowling.

She grinned at him. "You sure don't act like it."

"Can't I be happy that I'm going to be a grandfather?" he exclaimed, clutching Rose to him. "When do you know if it's a boy of girl?"

"In a few weeks," Rose answered, prying herself away from his embrace. "You're crushing the baby."

We all went to dinner – thankfully somewhere in town. I didn't want another rerun with Galina; last time was really awkward. We filled them in on everything that had happened the past few weeks. Rose's morning sickness was better now that she was taking Dr. Olendzki's advice – though she hated every second of it when she had to drink the ginger ale – but unfortunately her headaches came back more frequently.

When I told Dr. Olendzki my concerns, she assured me that it wasn't uncommon to have returning headaches after the brain injury Rose had sustained in the car accident. Carrying a baby put a lot of extra stress on her so it wasn't abnormal that Roza had more headaches than usual. It put Rose's mind at ease immediately, but I wasn't so easy to reassure. I'd asked Rose to stay home for now, but she'd refused to do that, saying that she didn't want to sit around all day and do nothing. I could understand that so I hadn't asked Rose again, knowing Mia would look out for her.

"I'm so happy you're moving back closer to home," Mama said, sighing happily, when we drove her back home after dinner. "It's so nice of Abe and Janine to help you two out. I'm so grateful to them."

"We are too," I answered.

After we'd dropped her off, we went to Lissa and Christian's. The wedding was in a few weeks, right after we'd know the baby's gender. I could hardly wait to find out. In the meantime, we'd be looking at houses. Neither of us wanted to move back to Columbia Falls, but we thought about buying something that wasn't far off so it would be easy to visit our family and friends.

The house was finally finished so we got another tour. This time Lissa didn't make Rose fit any bridesmaid dresses because Rose's belly was still growing and by the time the actual wedding happened, her dress wouldn't fit anymore. So instead, Lissa agreed to come to the city a week before the wedding so they could shop for a bridesmaid dress together. Mia could come along as well so she could give her opinions on which dresses fit with the centerpieces – or something like that.

Lissa and Rose both tried to explain it to me, but I didn't understand why it was important that the color of the flowers matched the bridesmaid dress. I really hoped planning our wedding would be easier and less confusing.

I was counting the days until the next doctor's appointment and I thought it would take forever, but we were so busy trying to find a suitable house near our hometown that time flew by faster than ever. So when Dr. Olendzki announced we were going to have a baby girl, I couldn't have been happier.

"Don't start crying now, comrade," Rose said in a teasing voice. I was clutching her hand as I stared at the monitor, at our little girl, and listened to her steady heartbeats. But she was almost crying herself as she said, smiling, "We're having a girl."

I smiled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's perfect."

* * *

 _There you go! I know this chapter was short, but I'll try to make the next one a little bit longer! I hope you have an amazing day/evening! :)_


	22. Chapter 22

_Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 22**

 **RPOV**

"You know what would be a cool name?"

We were in the car, on our way to Lissa's long-awaited wedding. We still had a few hours to kill so while Dimitri was driving I browsed through the baby name book Mia had gifted me a few days ago. We'd been discussing names all week and had yet to agree on one name.

"What?" Dimitri asked, almost weary.

I bit my lip to try and hide my grin, knowing I'd get a rise out of him. "Khaleesi," I deadpanned.

His eyes flicked towards mine. I looked back at him and when he saw the serious look on my face his jaw dropped. "You're not serious, right?"

"I am."

Dimitri stared at me, incredulous. "We're not naming our child _Khaleesi_. We're not using any names of that TV show."

"I thought you liked Game of Thrones," I said, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling. "We used to watch that all the time when we were kids."

"Not enough to name our – why are you laughing?" he asked scowling. "It's not funny, Rose. _Khaleesi_ isn't even a real name!"

I couldn't help myself any longer. I snorted with laughter again, shaking my head. "You should have seen the look on your face. Pure horror."

Dimitri cut me a look. "That wasn't funny."

"Wanting to call our baby Lorraine or Nelly isn't funny either," I returned. "We aren't in the Wild West."

"I never suggested those names," he argued.

I scoffed. "No, you just wanted to name our kid Esther. That's an old person's name. And I know you got it out of one of your books."

"It's better than what you're suggesting," he shot back.

"It was a joke," I said. "Obviously. Or maybe we should really just call her _Peanut_ ," I added with a shrug. His eyes widened in shock and I grinned at him. "Come on, comrade. Lighten up. It's a long way to Columbia Falls. We should have some fun."

"Fine," Dimitri said. "How about we talk about our wedding?" He was smiling now. "We still need to decide on a date."

I groaned. "Dimitri, I know you'd like to get married as soon as possible, but I'd rather just wait until the baby is born. I already look like a balloon for Lissa's wedding. I don't want to be a balloon when _I_ marry."

Dimitri frowned. "You don't look like a balloon. You just have a baby bump."

"This is more than a bump," I argued, pointing at my belly. "I'm five months pregnant. By the time we've got everything arranged for our own wedding I'll be eight months pregnant. You really don't expect me to walk down the aisle like that?"

"Can't we just elope?" he said, smiling at me.

"Your mom will go mad if we do that. And what about my parents? They're paying for the whole thing. And a house – which we still haven't found."

"Okay, okay," Dimitri acquiesced quickly. "You're right. We shouldn't elope, but…" He glanced over at me and reached out for my hand. "I just want to be married to you already."

I squeezed his hand, giving him a small smile. "I know."

He smiled back. "So…a summer wedding then?"

"Yes," I agreed. "The summer's way better than the winter. We could have the party outside."

"Alright," he said, squeezing my hand back before letting go. "I can live with that."

It was quiet for a while as we continued our drive. We stopped at a gas station an hour later because I needed to pee and so we decided to have a quick bite to eat.

When we were finally nearing our hometown, I looked out of the window. It was foggy now outside, the sky almost white. It was probably going to snow again in a bit. It had already snowed here, though, as I looked at the roofs of the houses we passed by.

"Stop the car," I exclaimed suddenly, making Dimitri almost jump in his seat.

He came to a screeching halt a few feet further down the road, looking at me with worry. "What's wrong?"

I almost hadn't seen the house because it almost had the same color as the snow on top of the roof. There was a " _for sale_ " sign planted in the front yard. Suddenly, the front door opened and three people stepped out, two women and a man. It was only now that I noticed the car parked in the driveway.

"Back up," I said, still staring at the house. Dimitri did as I told and backed up. "Look at that house. It's beautiful."

Dimitri parked the car across the street and leaned over to my side, looking through the window. "Yeah, it's nice."

I watched the older lady shake the couple's hands. Then the couple left, leaving the woman standing alone on the doorstep.

"I think she just showed them around," I said. "We should ask her if she can show us around as well."

Dimitri glanced away from the house and looked at me. "Rose, we can't just barge in and demand a tour."

"We can ask, can't we?" I asked, my voice pleading. "I mean, look at it! It's gorgeous and it looks big. Big enough for a family." He still looked hesitant. "We still got plenty of time. My parents aren't expecting us until tonight." I looked at him, batting my eyelashes. "Please?"

He sighed. "Sure. We can take a look."

I grinned at him, excited. "Thanks!"

I opened the car door and hurried across the street because the woman was about to step into her car and drive off.

"Excuse me," I called out as Dimitri followed me. The woman looked up, startled. "Are you selling this house?"

"Yes," she answered, a little cautious.

"We were just driving by and I thought how lovely this house is," I explained. "We were wondering if you could show us around? Maybe?"

The woman eyed us both, probably trying to figure out if we were trustworthy people. Then her eyes fell on my baby bump. It was visible even through my winter coat. "Sure," she said at last, giving us a smile. "I still got some time left."

"Thank you so much!"

She told us her name was Sarah as she let us inside the house. It was a two-story house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. One of them was adjoined to the master bedroom. Aside from that there was a large basement and a laundry room right next to it. The living room was even more spacious, with hardwood flooring and a huge fireplace, which made it all look a little bit cozier. Sarah said that every room had been renovated before the house was put up for sale. After the tour, Sarah left us alone for a few minutes, saying she had to take a call.

"This house is amazing," I said as I circled the empty living room again.

Dimitri nodded his agreement. "Yes, it's pretty amazing."

"It's huge and, best of all, it's finished. It only needs furniture," I said, patting the mantelpiece. "I can't believe they aren't asking for more money. I mean, look at this!" I waved around the room. "And there's, like, five bedrooms."

Dimitri was smiling now. "I take it you like it very much?"

I shook my head, smiling back. "No, I think I'm in love." Walking to the kitchen, I stopped in front of the large window and looked at the garden. Dimitri followed me and came to stand beside me. "It'd be nice for Peanut to play here. She'd have a lot of space." I looked up at him. "And it's not that far from our parents. About half an hour."

"You don't have to convince me," Dimitri said. "This house does seem perfect. We've been looking for a while now, but there hasn't been a house yet that got you this excited. And you're right. The price should be way up…"

"So?" I said, encouraging him to go on. "What should we do?"

"Well," Dimitri said slowly, "your father is still adamant on buying us a house…" He smiled again. "Might as well be this one."

I grabbed his arm, barely able to contain my excitement now. "Really?"

His smile turned into a grin. "Really."

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. "We're buying a house!"

Dimitri put his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "No, your dad is buying a house," he corrected.

I shrugged. "Details." I pulled away from him. "We should tell Sarah right away before that other couple makes an offer."

Sarah was almost as happy as I was when we told her. "You're not going to regret this," she said, beaming, as we followed her out of the door.

"I feel like we're finally adults," I told Dimitri when we were back in the car. "A baby. A house. Marriage." I scrunched up my nose when a new thought formed inside my head. "We're getting old."

"What?" Dimitri laughed. "That's not true. We've grown up, that's all."

"We should only tell your mom and my parents, though," I said after a few moments. "For now."

"Why?" Dimitri asked, confused.

"Because I don't want to steal Lissa's thunder. It's supposed to be _her_ day."

Dimitri leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Oh, Roza. You're too kind for this world."

I smiled teasingly. "Only when I want to be."

When we arrived at Olena's, Viktoria was already there with Andre. She'd been released from rehab a few weeks ago and she seemed to be doing really well. We hadn't seen her much lately, but that was because she'd taken up classes again.

"Finally!" Viktoria exclaimed, hugging her brother. "We've been here since yesterday. I thought you guys weren't coming anymore."

"What? The wedding is still two days away," I answered. "What are you doing here already?"

Viktoria smiled. "Visiting Mama."

Olena was very happy to see us, especially me since I was carrying her grandchild. "How's she doing?" she asked. "Everything okay?"

"She's doing well," I said, patting my stomach. "She's hungry all the time, though – and already pressing on my bladder. It's only been an hour and I need to pee again."

Olena laughed.

"She's going to be like her mom, then," Viktoria said, snorting with laughter. "A glutton."

I looked at her, outraged. "That's not true. Tell her, comrade."

Dimitri looked the other way, clearing his throat. I elbowed him in the ribs and a smile tugged at his lips.

"You're supposed to defend me," I complained. "Anyway, there's a baby growing inside of me. I have to eat for two."

Viktoria grinned. "Does that mean the nausea has passed?"

I groaned as I thought back to my days spent bending over a toilet seat. "Yes. _Finally_."

"Stop teasing her, Viktoria," Olena reprimanded.

"Yes, stop teasing my fiancée," Dimitri said, giving his sister a stern look.

I snorted. "Too late now, comrade. You should've spoken up earlier when I asked you to."

"Well, you do have your appetite back," he said. He looked almost afraid, as if I was going to hurt him for saying that. "But that's a good thing. I'm not complaining."

"Kiss-ass," Viktoria said, ignoring Olena's dismayed look. Now Dimitri was the one who looked outraged. Viktoria blew him a kiss before darting out of the room, following her mother back to the kitchen. "Love you, brother."

"How do you put up with her every day?" I asked, looking at Andre. He hadn't said a word so far, even though Dimitri's attitude towards him had bettered.

"I guess I have a lot of patience," he said, smiling now.

"Dinner's almost ready," Olena announced.

We walked into the kitchen and took a seat as Olena served us dinner. She'd made meatloaf and it was _delicious_ – Christian would be jealous, seeing as this was his favorite dish. I couldn't help but snap a picture and text it to him.

Viktoria and Andre were staying with Olena for the wedding. She was invited as well, which I thought was a nice gesture of Lissa and Christian. Dimitri and I would be staying at my parents' for the next few days, but I wished we could have stayed here because I couldn't imagine Olena walking in during the night to shush us like my mom once had.

When we said our goodbyes to Olena and went to my parents, they were watching TV, which was a rare sight.

"There you are!" Dad exclaimed, getting up. "How was the trip?"

"Interesting," I answered.

Mom looked at us, curious. "Oh?"

"Well, we've got some good news!"

Dad beamed at me. "You're pregnant!"

I rolled my eyes. "Ha ha. That's hilarious."

Mom was smiling. "I thought it was funny."

I gave her an exasperated look. "Trust me, Mom. You're the only one."

"So what's the news?"

I took Dimitri's hand in mine and made the announcement. "We've found a house we like, a few towns over. So if you're still willing to sponsor…" I fixed a sweet smile onto my face as I looked at my dad, who was stroking his goatee as he thought about what I'd said. Maybe I should've laughed at his joke. "Why are you so quiet?" I asked frowning. They'd been nagging for months that we should find a house before the baby was born so that the move wouldn't be too stressful. "I thought you would be happy? I mean, it's, like, thirty minutes away."

And then, all of a sudden, Dad was beaming again. "I got you there, didn't I? I knew I still got it," he said, looking at Mom again.

I threw up my hands, annoyed. "What is this? Are you in a midlife crisis? Are you practicing at being funny for when your grandchild is born?" Dad started chuckling. "You should practice some more, old man, because it isn't funny," I told him.

"Calm down, Roza," Dimitri said, though he had trouble hiding his smile.

"Oh dear," Mom said, more amused than surprised by my over-exaggerated reaction. "The hormones are taking its toll on you."

"Poor Dimitri," Dad muttered.

I scowled at them, but refrained from saying anything because I knew they were right. Pregnancy made me even more irritable than usual.

"You're all ruining my mood," I complained.

"And we're all very sorry," Dad said solemnly. "But we're very happy that you've finally found a house. And of course we're still paying for it – though you should laugh more at your old man's jokes," he added.

"Thank you very much," Dimitri said gratefully.

"Thank you," I said as well, sighing in relief. "I know it's not the way it's supposed to be, you paying for our home, so please know that we really appreciate this."

Mom smiled. "We know."

Later that night, as I brushed my teeth and put on my comfy and warm PJs, I was still thinking about what my parents had said. When I joined Dimitri in the bed, I hesitated to ask, but then he put his arm around me and kissed the side of my head.

"Am I annoying?" I asked.

Dimitri gave me a strange look. "No."

"But I have been more annoyed lately." It was more of a statement than a question. He was quiet for a moment too long so I looked at him. "Never mind. I know I am."

"It's okay, Roza," he said at last. "Maybe you are more irritable-"

"You're being very helpful," I muttered with a frown, looking down.

"Let me finish, Roza," Dimitri said, raising my chin so I would look at him again. "You're pregnant and a pregnancy can be very stressful so it's only normal, I think, that you're irritable. And you know what Dr. Olendzki has to say about that. It's because-"

"Yes, yes, the hormones," I cut him off. When I realized that I'd interrupted him once again, I said, "Sorry."

Dimitri smiled and ran a hand through my hair. "If you know, then stop worrying. It's fine. You have every right to be irritable with everything you're going through." He kissed my forehead. "And I'll do whatever I can to make it easier on you."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, though, if I lash out sometimes. You always treat me like a queen even though I can be ungrateful sometimes."

"It's fine, Roza," he murmured. "You have your good moments and your bad. Just like everyone else in the world."

"Thank you," I whispered, snuggling a little bit closer to him – as much as my belly allowed it, at least.

"No need to thank me," he answered before he pressed his lips against mine. "You are my queen after all and I do as you command."

I grinned sheepishly. "Stop trying to please me all the time."

"That I can't do," he murmured, moving his lips to my neck.

"So, comrade," I said, changing the subject, "while you were showering I read some more names in the baby book. I found one I really like."

Dimitri looked back up at me, a cautious look crossing his face. "And?"

I laughed. "No need to worry. It's a pretty normal name. I promise."

Now he looked interested. "Are you going to tell me the name or do I need to guess?"

I smiled at him. "Zoey."

Dimitri was quiet for a few moments, mulling it over. Then he smiled back. "Zoey. I like that name."

"Really?" I exclaimed, grinning now.

He chuckled. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Well, this is the first time we've agreed on a name."

Dimitri looked down at my stomach. He placed a hand on it and murmured, "Zoey." He looked back up at me, smiling again. "I think we've finally found a name for our baby girl."

"Yes, we have," I agreed.

Dimitri looked at me with so much love in his eyes I felt warm all over my body. He leaned in and kissed me softly.

"You should get some sleep now, milaya," he said, wrapping me up in his arms, making me feel safe and wanted. "The next few days are going to be very long."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	23. Chapter 23

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 23**

 **DPOV**

"I can't wait to see her."

I watched as Christian paced the floor endlessly. He was so wound up, all ready to get married to the love of his life. He stopped short in front of me.

"Can't I see her?"

"No," I said patiently. "You know you can't."

He scoffed. "We'll see how patient you'll be when you marry Rose."

"My job is to keep you away from the bride until the wedding," I said. "I'm just doing what I'm told."

"Rose can't tell you what to do," Christian exclaimed. "It's not _her_ wedding! And you're _my_ best man! You should be working for me."

I looked at him, amused. "Stop freaking out. It's going to be alright. You'll see her soon enough."

Instead, he started for the door again. I was about to stop him when the door opened and Rose walked into the room. She was wearing her bridesmaid dress and her hair was pulled into an elaborate braided bun. My jaw dropped as I stared at her in awe, wondering why this gorgeous woman chose to love _me_ when she could have any man she wanted.

"How do I look, comrade?" she said, twirling around for me.

"You…" I blinked. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "You look stunning, Roza."

She smiled, satisfied.

"This is not fair!" Christian whined. "If I don't get to see Lissa, you don't get to see Rose!"

I smirked at him. "But like you said, Christian, this is not my wedding."

"Lissa will be ready in a few," Rose said. It seemed like she was chewing gum. "Go outside and smoke a cigarette."

Christian frowned. "I don't smoke."

"Then go outside and calm down. You leave in five minutes," she told him. "I'm the maid of honor. You should listen to me."

Christian's frown deepened. "You're the _only_ bridesmaid!"

"Go," she said, shooing him away before turning back to me with a smile. "You look very handsome in your tux. A real gentleman."

I tugged at her hand, pulling her close. I opened my mouth to say something, but then Christian exclaimed, "You guys are unbelievable!" And then he stormed outside, grumbling. "And please don't chew gum when we're in church, Rose!"

"He's really nervous," I told Rose with a shrug.

"You call that nervous?" Rose said, raising an eyebrow. "I call that uptight."

I chuckled. "You really do look exquisite in that dress," I said softly, changing the subject. "But won't you get cold?"

"It is rather short," Rose admitted, "but at least I have sleeves. And I really like the bow on the back." She pouted. "Too bad I can't see it."

"Does it still match Mia's flowers?"

She grinned. "What do you think?"

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she leaned in and kissed me. I pulled her as close as possible, wrapping an arm around her, and deepened the kiss. I knew I was supposed to leave with Christian in a minute, but I didn't want to let go of Roza just yet. But she pulled away all too soon, the smile still on her face.

"Thanks for the gum," I said dryly, which made her laugh. "Why were you chewing gum anyway? Are you nauseous again?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"I'm nervous because Lissa has to marry Christian."

I laughed. "She doesn't _have_ to. She wants to."

Rose frowned. "Hmm."

I cut her a look. "Don't make any jokes about their relationship today. It's their wedding day. Be nice to Christian."

"I won't make any jokes if he promises he won't either on my wedding day." I arched an eyebrow and she added quickly, " _Our_ wedding day."

I gently squeezed her hand. "I tell you what, if you're nice to him today, I'll make sure he's nice to you too."

"I guess I can do that," she agreed.

I smiled again and press my lips against her forehead. "I should go now."

"Alright, we'll be right behind you," Rose said as I walked to the door. I looked back at her and she winked at me. "See you at the altar, comrade."

I groaned inwardly. Oh, how much I wanted her right now…

I found Christian on the porch, pacing again. When I closed the front door behind me, he looked up and said, "Finally!"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I got distracted."

Christian scrunched up his nose as he looked at me. "Are you chewing gum now? That's gross!" I just shrugged. "You two share way too much," he muttered as he stalked off to the car. "Spit that out before we go in, will you? I don't want you chewing gum in front of the priest."

I hid a smile. It was actually pretty amusing to see him on edge; it was so unlike him. "Sure thing."

Christian was a nervous wreck by the time we arrived at church. I had no idea why because Lissa wasn't the type to bail out at the last minute. Honestly, I thought she was the kind of girl who'd been planning her wedding since she took her first steps. But then I saw how many people were seated already inside and I understood.

"Did you invite literally everyone you know?" I asked as I followed him to the altar.

"No," he said, wringing his hands together. "Lissa did."

"And how many of them are invited to the feast?"

"A lot," he answered, waving stiffly at his soon-to-be parents-in-law. I gave a curt nod and then turned away. Lissa's dad still didn't like me very much. The fact that Christian had chosen me over Andre to be the best man must've stung a little and it certainly hadn't made him like me better.

Thankfully, I was quickly distracted from my sudden worries when Rose walked down the aisle in a slow pace. It was only now that I heard music playing and that the priest had joined us at the altar. I looked back out into the crowd and saw that Lissa's father had disappeared. The ceremony had started without me realizing it.

"Stop fidgeting," I whispered into Christian's ear before taking a step back.

When Lissa walked in with her arm linked in her father's, Christian straightened his back and beamed at his bride as she slowly made her way down the aisle. Lissa looked radiant in her white gown – that could not be denied – but I still thought Rose looked more beautiful than any woman in this church. I kept stealing glances at her during the ceremony, completely mesmerized by her.

After their vows, they exchanged the rings and then the priest pronounced them husband and wife. Rose whooped when they kissed and I clapped along with the other guests. When the newlyweds departed, I stepped closer to Rose.

"That was a beautiful ceremony," Rose said smiling, "though I don't think you've heard much of what has been said because you were busy staring at me." She tutted. "How scandalous."

I flashed her a grin. "I'm not even sorry. You look too good to be true."

I held out my arm for her and she took it, walking down the altar with me. She waved at our friends, who were leaving the church as well.

"Christian looked really constipated at the beginning," Rose sniggered. "For a moment I thought he was dying."

I chuckled. "He was really nervous, yes. Wouldn't you be with a crowd like that?"

"Yeah, well, that's Lissa," Rose said with a shrug. "She's always wanted a big wedding."

We found our friends at the reception. After Adrian and Sydney had congratulated the newlyweds, they walked over to us.

"You look good, Rose," Adrian said smiling. "You have this…glow." He glanced at Sydney, almost uncertain. "That's what all pregnant women have, right?"

"It's sweat, my friend," Rose said, patting his arm. "That's all it is. Excuse me, I have to pee again. Peanut likes to press on my bladder all the freaking time lately."

"That sounds…fun," Adrian commented. He looked at his girlfriend. "So when are we going to make babies?"

Sydney almost choked on her drink. "W-what?" she spluttered.

"Unless you want to get married first?" He paused, thinking. "Yeah, we should do it the traditional way. My mom's going to have a fit otherwise."

She just stared at him in shock. I was grateful when Eddie and Jill joined us, distracting Adrian from marriage and kids. I'd never have guessed Adrian would be the one to push Sydney for marriage. I thought it would've been the other way around, but she'd seemed speechless, like it had never even crossed her mind yet.

"Have you seen the centerpieces, Dimitri?" Mia asked, coming up behind me. Mason was with her and he gave me a curt nod, which I returned with a nod of my own. We were never going to be good friends. "You like them? Rose helped a lot."

I knew Rose hadn't helped _that_ much – only given her opinion, really, at least that's what she'd told me – but Mia was too kind to say so.

"It's very beautiful, yes," I said, looking at the flowers on the tables. She beamed at me when I said that. "What are they again?"

"The pink ones are peonies and the cream-colored ones are hydrangeas," she answered.

"You did an amazing job. I heard from Rose you helped the wedding planner decorate?"

Mia blushed. "Only a little."

"Now you can plan an entire wedding yourself." Rose had returned and slung her arm around Mia's shoulders, hugging her. "You could do ours in the summer!" she added, looking at me for confirmation. I just smiled. "You'd have to work with Lissa, though."

"That won't be a problem," Mia laughed. "I'm sure we'd work well together." Then her smile disappeared. "Like you and I did. It's a shame you're leaving," she sighed, pouting.

"I know. I'm sorry," Rose said, squeezing her shoulder.

"You don't have to apologize, Rose. As long as you're happy, I'm happy too."

"But what are you going to do, then?" Eddie asked. "Are you going to try out college?"

"No, that would be too difficult with the baby," she answered.

"When she's in school you could go to college, though," I piped in. She cut me a look. "Only if you want to," I added hastily.

Adrian snorted with laughter. "Funny."

"What's so funny about that?" Mason asked with a frown.

"She's going from adult to teenager," Adrian explained. "First a baby, then marriage and then college. It should be the other way around." When nobody laughed, he said, "Oh, come on, it's funny, don't you agree?"

Rose smiled at him. "Yes, that's really funny, Adrian." He looked relieved at that. When Rose turned away from him, she caught my gaze and rolled her eyes, but she looked more amused than annoyed at Adrian's 'joke'. "I'm going to sit at the table. I'm hungry and my feet hurt."

We were sitting at the bride and groom's table, meaning that I'd have dinner with Lissa's father. I was not really looking forward to that because it would be awkward, but at least I'd have Rose by my side.

"You okay?" I asked, sitting down next to her.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I just can't wait to get these heels off."

I kissed her cheek. "Just a little while longer." She let out a groan and I rubbed her back, hoping it would comfort her. It usually did. "I'm sorry. I know you're not comfortable right now. I wish there was something I could do to help."

She looked at me and smiled. "That's sweet of you, thanks. But if I already feel so uncomfortable now, then how am I going to feel when I'm about to pop?" She shook her head. "I should really stop complaining and suck it up."

"It's okay to complain sometimes, Roza," I told her gently. "It's a very long day for you so it's only normal that you feel more uncomfortable than usual."

Rose put her hand on mine and squeezed. "I think I've got the most understanding boyfriend ever." She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. "I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too, milaya."

"I don't know what I'd do without you, comrade," she sighed.

I kissed her again. "You don't ever have to think about that. I will always be here for you."

Rose was smiling again, almost shy now, and said softly, "I believe you."

I started to lean in again and so did she, but then someone came up behind us and said, "Get a room!"

We both looked up, startled. Christian and Lissa stood before us. "Don't look so surprised," Christian said with a grin. He looked much more at ease now. "You're practically making out in front of the guests."

"Let them be," Lissa said to Christian. "They're happy." She smiled then. "And so are we."

"Yes, we are," Christian agreed, kissing her cheek affectionately.

Now that Christian and Lissa had greeted all the guests and thanked them for the gifts, dinner could be served. But first, Andre and Rose were going to give a speech. Eric Dragomir had asked if his son could give a speech instead of the best man, which was fine by me because I didn't like talking in front of such a big crowd anyway. I bet the man thought I'd be offended, which I think was his intention, but he was actually doing me a favor.

Andre said a lot of kind things about the happy couple, which made me believe the whole thing was scripted by his parents. But then Rose started her speech and it was all jokes – mostly about Christian – and then she wished them a bright future filled with love and happiness.

After dinner, Christian and Lissa had their first dance. I knew Christian had been taking classes and it looked like it had paid off. Maybe I should do that, too. It'd make Roza happy for certain. Adrian whistled loudly when the dance was over and then shouted, "Good job, Christian!" Of course Christian's face turned red as a tomato.

Slowly, the dance floor got more crowded. When I saw that pretty much all of our friends were up there, I looked over at Roza.

"Want to dance?" I asked. "I know your feet hurt, but I thought you might want to anyway…"

She blinked at me in surprise, then grinned. " _You_ are asking _me_ to dance?"

"Yes. I need to practice for our wedding," I said, holding out my hand.

Rose slid her hand into mine, an excited grin on her face. I was happy that by the time we were on the dance floor a slower song started to play.

"Thank God," I breathed, taking her hand in mine.

Rose laughed at that and put her free hand on my shoulder. "I've never seen someone look so relieved."

I gave her a sheepish smile and put my other hand on her waist, pulling her as close as her stomach allowed. And then we started to move – slowly.

"See, you're getting better at it," Rose said grinning.

"I was thinking we could take dance classes for our wedding," I told her. "At least, I should. Christian did too."

"Really?" Rose exclaimed, surprised but excited. "But I want to come, too! Then we can practice together."

I smiled at her. "Sounds like a plan."

"I really like this song," Rose said after a few moments, looking content.

I twirled her around and pulled her closer again, listening more carefully now to the lyrics.

 _I'm better with you, you're better with me_

 _I still miss all our nights_

 _Even fights were all better with you_

 _You're better with me_

 _There is nobody else who can love me the way that you do_

My smile widened. "I'd say it fits us perfectly."

Rose returned my smile, her eyes shining with happiness. I stopped dancing – or rather, shuffling – as I looked at her, at the woman I was so madly in love with. And she loved me too, even after all the mistakes I'd made. I leaned in and kissed passionately, catching her off guard.

"What was that for?" Rose asked when I pulled away from her, leaving her breathless.

I gave a shake of my head, still smiling. "I just realized… I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"Oh? And why's that?" she said in a teasing voice.

"Because I get to marry the girl of my dreams."

* * *

 _There you go, the last chapter! How did you like it? Of course there'll be an epilogue which will be a fun one for all the Romitri shippers out there ;D. I don't normally do this, but I put song lyrics in this chapter. I kinda wanted to do it because those song lyrics were part of my inspiration for 'Better With You' and its sequel. If you want to check out the song, it's called 'Better With You' (surprise surprise :P) by This Wild Life. It's quite good! :D  
_ _Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter!_

 _ **Side note: **I've also written a short story " **DRASTIC MEASURES"** on the side that's totally different from anything I've written on this site before. But of course there's Romitri in it! So if you're interested, I'll give you a short summary here. _

**_What was supposed to be a fun afternoon for best friends Rose and Lissa turns into a nightmare when a couple of teenagers break into the Dragomir mansion. Soon it becomes clear that their only hope of escape lies with Dimitri, one of the strangers holding them hostage._**

 _I know this is really short and it kinda sucks, but I couldn't come up with a better summary because otherwise it might give away too much. I'll probably post the first chapter today. I'm also working on another story, but I'll give more information about that one when I post the epilogue to this story! Well, I guess that's all for now. Have a great day/evening! :)_


	24. Epilogue

_Thank you very much for the reviews! I'm sorry for the late update. I couldn't update yesterday because Fanfiction was being a pain in the ass again. But all's good now so let's get on with the epilogue! :)_

 _I know Karolina's baby is supposed to be called "Zoya", but Zoya and Zoey are the same name, so I changed the baby's name to Zara in this story. :D_

 _ **To the guest reviewer:** Thank you so much for reading my stories! AH means "All Human". _

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **EPIOLOGUE**

 **RPOV**

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Dimitri beamed at me before leaning in, pressing his lips against mine in a sweet, loving kiss. I heard a lot of clapping in the background and I thought I heard my dad whooping, but all that noise faded away as soon as my lips connected with Dimitri's. When we pulled away from each other, I was grinning from ear to ear. I could hardly believe we were finally married.

Lissa hugged me after the ceremony, crying happy tears, and even now there was still a lot of clapping, which worried me a little bit because Zoey was here as well. Dimitri took my hand and led me out from under the archway that was entwined with vines and all kinds of flowers. I honestly thought this was Mia's best work ever and I reminded myself I should thank her later.

We walked over to Dad, who was holding Zoey, and he lay her in my arms. To my relief, she was very calm. She always was, really. She didn't cry often and, even at night, she was peaceful most of the time. I figured that was something she'd inherited from her father. I was grateful for that because giving birth to her had been something else entirely.

It had taken hours and hours and a lot of screaming and cursing from me before she was finally born. I remembered having an outburst when Dimitri tried to soothe me and I'd yelled at him that it was all his fault I was going through so much pain. Of course he'd remained very calm and took every insult I threw at him. Afterward, I'd apologized profusely for my behavior, but he'd shrugged it off like it was nothing. He'd been so supportive and kind during it all, I'd be forever grateful for that.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, looking down at our little angel. She opened her big brown eyes, the same color as Dimitri's and smiled. "Hey, Peanut. Your dad and I finally got married."

Mom came to stand beside us and said, "She looks a lot like you, Rose. But she has Dimitri's smile."

"And his personality, thank God for that," I laughed, looking up at Dimitri. He smiled and kissed the side of my head. "We should probably get the guests inside." I gave Zoey to Dimitri. "Can you feed her in the mean time?"

"I'll do that," Mom piped in. "You should both greet your guests and thank them for coming."

"Thanks, Mom," I said, giving her a grateful smile. "The bottles are in the fridge."

Dimitri was reluctant to let go of Zoey, though. He kissed the top of her head and then placed her in Mom's arms. We hadn't invited a lot of people to the wedding, just family and close friends, so that Zoey could come as well. We didn't want her to be surrounded by too much noise because that might upset her. But we were close to home, in case she got cranky – which would surprise me, but one never knew.

Dad had rented the clubhouse of the golf course for our feast. At first, Dimitri and I hadn't liked that idea because Dimitri used to work there and his colleagues there all knew about Dimitri's past. But Dad had promised he'd hire different people to cater during the party. How he managed to do that, I had no idea. But I was glad we agreed because we'd been able to do the ceremony outside, like I'd wanted to, and we had a beautiful backdrop: the forest Dimitri and I had spent many hours walking in, gotten to know each other and shared our first kiss. It was meaningful and that's why I liked it so much.

After we'd thanked everyone for coming to our wedding, I hugged my two bridesmaids. Lissa was crying again, but Viktoria was grinning.

"We're sisters now!" she exclaimed, squeezing me tightly. "I'm so happy."

I patted her back. "Me too."

She pulled back from the hug and I could breathe again. Then she glanced over at her brother, who was talking to Ivan and Christian, his best men.

"He's kinda cute, don't you think?" Viktoria murmured.

I scrunched up my nose. "You think Dimitri is cute? He's your brother."

"Eww, no!" she gasped. "I meant his friend. Ivan."

I sighed in relief. " _Oh._ " Then I shrugged. "I guess."

"Hey, don't let my brother hear this," Lissa said in a joking manner.

"Oh, Andre doesn't get jealous," Viktoria said with a shrug. "He doesn't need to anyway. He knows I'm his. Besides, it was just an observation."

"Well, he does have this mysterious vibe," Lissa admitted. "And he's very charming."

"Lissa!" I exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes. "You're married!"

She started blushing. "I-it was just an observation. No big deal."

I laughed. "Don't worry, Liss. I was just kidding. It's okay to look. No touching, though."

"It seems like you girls are having fun." I looked up as Olena approached, a radiant smile on her face. "Can I join in?"

"They were just marveling at Ivan," I responded with a shrug. "They think he's mysterious and cute and charming and-"

"Shut up, Rose!" Viktoria hissed, elbowing me.

I flashed her a grin. "What? It's only your mom. And it's not like _he_ is going to hear you."

Just then, Dimitri and Ivan started to make their way over to us. Lissa excused herself and went off to Christian, and Viktoria was looking for an escape as well. She spotted her boyfriend talking to Eddie and Mason and then scurried off.

"Congratulations, Rose!" Ivan said, engulfing me in a bear hug. "You look like an angel in that dress, by the way. Did you lose weight _again_?"

I shrugged. "I just got rid of all the baby fat."

"Well, you look stunning."

Dimitri cleared his throat, wrapping an arm around me. "She's already taken, Ivan," he said amiably. "Go flirt with someone else."

"I'm only being nice to your wife," Ivan said, starting to retreat. He looked at Olena and gave her a winning smile. "You look so lovely today, Olena, that if I didn't know you I would've thought you're Dimitri's sister."

"Ivan!" Dimitri said in a more serious tone now. "That's my mother."

"Alright, I'm going to talk to that waitress. I think she likes me because she smiled at me earlier." He winked and then stalked off, his step light and graceful.

"He _is_ a charmer," Olena commented, amused. She turned back to us and pulled her son into a hug. "Congratulations, Dimka. I'm so happy for you." Then she wrapped me in her arms. "You look very beautiful, Rose."

"Thank you," I answered. "I have Liss to thank for that. She styled me."

She'd done my hair in a waterfall braid – whatever that might be – and curled my hair. To finish it, she put some colorful floral sprigs in the braid. She'd also helped me choose my wedding dress. I'd told her I didn't want a floor-length dress, but I ended up wearing one anyway. It was a halter dress, the fabric a soft tulle and lace. I'd loved it from the first moment I saw the dress so I'd abandoned my idea of wearing a shorter dress immediately after fitting this one.

"I know you've already heard this about a hundred times today, but you really do look beautiful," Dimitri said after Olena had left. He leaned in and kissed me tenderly. "So beautiful, it hurts me."

"Now that is something I haven't heard yet," I said teasingly, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Dimitri smiled and kissed me again. "I love you, Roza."

"I love you too, comrade," I murmured.

Mom came back with Zoey a few moments later, interrupting our little interlude. But I didn't mind because I was already missing my baby girl.

"I've changed her diaper as well," Mom said as she placed the basket on the table next to us. When I peered inside, I saw that Zoey was asleep now. "She never even made a sound." Mom smiled down at her. "She's so not like you. You were always noisy and crying for attention."

Dimitri laughed at that.

"Hey! That is not true!" I protested.

"How would you know?" Mom returned. "You were just a baby."

Suddenly, Olena was there as well. "Oh, look at her," she said, sighing contentedly. "She is so beautiful."

"And quiet," Mom quipped, giving me a knowing look.

"She's still coming home with me later tonight, right?" Olena said.

"Yes, I've got a bag in the car with everything you'll need," Dimitri answered. "Thanks again for babysitting tonight, Mama."

"Yeah, we'll pick her up again in the morning," I told her. "Then you won't have to stay at home all-"

"Oh, but it's no problem," Olena said smiling. "I love babysitting on Zoey. Take all the time you need. I'm taking Zara and Paul home with me as well."

"Whoa, you're going to have a busy night," I said, my eyes widening.

"I really don't mind," Olena reassured us. "The more, the merrier."

Now that Zoey was back in the room, more people started to come around and look at her. Even though I'd asked my friends not to wake her, Adrian couldn't help himself but rock the basket to see if it would get a reaction out of her. It did; it woke her right up. And as soon as she saw Adrian's face so closeby, she actually started crying this time.

"Ha! It seems she doesn't like you all that much," Christian sniggered.

"What? How could she not like me?" Adrian exclaimed, indignant.

Dimitri was there in a flash to calm Zoey down. He took her in his arms and held her to his chest, murmuring soothing words to her. "It's okay, milaya. Daddy's here." He looked over at Adrian. "Seems like she isn't taking a liking to you," he said in a joking manner. "She doesn't cry that often."

Christian grinned, looking very pleased. "I knew it! She likes me, though. I've never made her cry before."

"Serves you right, Adrian," I said smirking. "You shouldn't have woken her up."

Adrian crossed his arms and huffed. "I can't believe she doesn't like me. I'm her favorite uncle!"

"I'm taking her outside for a minute to calm her down," Dimitri said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "It's too noisy in here."

"Alright," I said reluctantly. I wished I could come with them, but someone had to stay and entertain the guests and we both knew I was better at entertaining. And I had to admit that Dimitri was better at comforting Zoey anyway.

I left my friends to talk to Dimitri's family for a moment, but I couldn't find Karolina. I glanced out of the window and saw that she had joined Dimitri outside, together with Zara. Zara was only two months older than Zoey so I figured they could be playmates when they were a little bit older. Zara was quiet and calm as well so I was sure they'd get along great.

Dimitri had been worried about being a good father, before Zoey had been born. He'd never said it out loud, but I'd known he was worried he was going to be like his own father. When I'd been only two weeks from giving birth to Zoey, he'd been so nervous and on edge, I'd finally confronted him and that's when he'd finally admitted he was scared.

After I'd reassured him he was nothing like his father, he felt a lot better about himself, but it wasn't until Zoey had been placed in his arms for the very first time that he actually believed it. And look at him now, he was truly the best father a daughter could ask for in this world.

"You look very pretty today, Rose."

I looked down at Paul and smiled. I hadn't even heard him run up to me. "Hey, you. Thanks. You look quite handsome yourself in your tux."

"Thanks!" he exclaimed, excited. "Can I give you a hug?"

"Of course," I said laughing before wrapping my arms around him.

"Mama said I could ask you to dance with me tonight," he said, looking up at me.

I ruffled his hair. "That sounds like a great idea, Paul."

Paul looked very pleased with himself. "I'm going to find Mama and tell her!"

The day progressed quickly. If I wasn't talking to my friends, I was feeding Zoey or changing her diaper. Thankfully, my mom and Olena were happy to help out. I was glad, though, when I could finally sit down and eat. I was starving so I helped myself to pretty much everything the buffet offered, not caring who saw me.

After dinner, Olena decided to take the kids home. I thought that was for the best as well because the music would be too loud for them. I felt bad for Olena, though, that she'd miss out on tonight.

"It's fine, my dear," she reassured me again. "We'll have our own party at home."

I kissed Zoey on top of her head before Dimitri placed her back in her basket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Peanut," I said, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Mama," Dimitri said. "We owe you big time."

"There's no need to thank me, Dimka," she said. "You should enjoy yourselves tonight. You've earned it."

I felt sad that my daughter was leaving, but I knew she'd be safe with Olena. Turning back to Dimitri said, "It's almost time."

A look of panic crossed Dimitri's face and he pulled at his tie, nervous. "Okay."

"Chill out, comrade," I told him, smiling. "It's only one dance. Besides, we've practiced a lot."

"I know," he muttered.

It turned out he had nothing to worry about, like I'd told him many times before, though he'd looked even more nervous when he'd escorted me to the dance floor when Ivan started whistling loudly. But once our song started, he seemed to calm down and he remembered every step like I knew he would.

"See, you're doing fine," I said softly as we swayed.

"It's not too bad when I know what to do," he admitted, smiling down at me.

I returned his smile and leaned my head against his chest, relishing in this perfect moment with my husband. It had taken us a long time to find the right song for us. Because Dimitri was always so nervous on the dance floor I wanted to make sure the song was slow enough so he wouldn't have to worry too much about his dancing skills. At last, we found one we both liked when we watched a drama on TV. The song was called 'Through the eyes of love' and the lyrics were beautiful.

Unfortunately, we'd only been able to take two classes because I was eight months pregnant and I really wasn't feeling like waddling around too much at that time and after Zoey had been born there just hadn't been much time. So I'd practiced a little bit at home with him instead.

Our apartment hadn't been big enough to practice, but our new home had more than enough space. The move had been hell for me because I'd been about to pop and Dimitri had suggested to postpone it, but I'd pointed out that moving to a new house with a newborn baby wasn't ideal either. Of course I hadn't been allowed to help – Dimitri had made me promise – so Dimitri and our families had done all of the work while I watched and told them where to put the furniture. Thankfully, renovating hadn't been necessary or we might still be stuck at the apartment. It was a relief that we were able to move in so quickly. The only room we'd had to worry about was the nursery so Dimitri worked day and night for a week to get the room ready in time.

But now everything was finished and we had nothing left to worry about – except maybe money. Okay, fine, maybe we didn't have to worry about money all that much because Dad had set up a bank account for Zoey already. The money he'd put in every month would go to her on her eighteenth birthday so she had nothing to worry about. But Dimitri felt bad about the amount of money that my parents had already gifted us and he was determined to pay at least half of it back – in time, of course. I'd already told him that Dad wouldn't want it, but Dimitri was going to try it anyway.

In the meantime, Dimitri had found a job as a courier. It was only temporary, but I knew he enjoyed driving around and delivering packages whilst listening to his crappy 80's CD's way better than waiting tables. And what was even better – in his opinion – no one was able to bother him. I figured he liked the being-alone-part of his job more than he wanted to admit. Honestly, I didn't care what he did, as long as he was happy.

And me… Well, we'd agreed that I'd stay at home and take care of Zoey for now. But I'd also agreed to taking up some classes at the community college next year. I had no clue as to what I wanted to do in my life, but I still had enough time to decide. My parents and Dimitri were thrilled that I decided to give college a shot and they'd offered to babysit immediately.

I was glad that they were willing to help so much and I was pretty sure that Olena would be happy to hear she would have a lot more opportunities to babysit as well when I started my classes. I'd reminded Dimitri of our agreement, but we both knew that the both of us couldn't go to college – not now that we had Zoey to take care of. I'd felt guilty at first that _I_ would be the one to go to college, but Dimitri had assured me that it was fine and that he was happy for me.

But college was still far-off and now I was enjoying every moment of my wedding. When the dance was over, Dimitri sighed in relief. More people spilled out onto the dancefloor, including Ivan and one of the waitresses. I wondered if she knew that she was supposed to work, but I guess Ivan was too charming to resist.

"Oh God," Dimitri muttered, following my gaze.

"I think she's going to get fired," I said laughing.

"It looks like she doesn't care," Dimitri said, amused.

I wrapped my arms around Dimitri. "I wish we could go home already."

Dimitri looked back at me, smiling. "Me too." He tugged at the fabric of my dress. "I can't wait to get this off of you."

I grinned at him. "Patience, comrade."

Dimitri pulled me off the dancefloor and led me to a dark corner of the room. No one was paying attention to us any longer so he pushed me against the wall and kissed me with fervor. "I don't want to be patient anymore," he murmured against my lips. "I've been patient all day."

I giggled as he pressed kisses to my neck. I pushed lightly against his chest and he stepped back at last, pouting.

"Wanna go home?" I asked with a grin.

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yes, please."

We sneaked out of the clubhouse and ran to the car, laughing. When we were inside and Dimitri started the car, I said, a little breathless, "I hope no one's going to notice we're gone."

Dimitri shrugged. "I don't care if they do. I just want to be with you." He leaned over and pressed his lips against mine. "This might be our only night alone for a while."

It was true. No honeymoon for us anytime soon. Not when we had Zoey to take care of. Our family was happy to take her in a for a few days, but I couldn't leave her behind. She was too young and she needed her parents. We'd go on our honeymoon next summer.

The grin was still on my face as I said, "Then we'd better enjoy it while we can."

And so we went home and made love until dawn. I fell asleep curled up next to my husband with a smile on my face. I had everything I'd ever wanted at last. A home. Not so long ago, I thought I'd never have a shot at the life that I wished for, but then Dimitri came back into my life.

We'd had to deal with a lot of hardships in our life, but we came out of it stronger. _Together._ I'd taken a leap of faith when I gave Dimitri another chance and, even though I'd been insecure and had my doubts at first, I knew now that I'd made the right decision. We were meant to be together.

And now our life could finally begin.

* * *

 _Wow, I can't believe this story is over. I had fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it, and I sure hope you liked the epilogue! Thanks again for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! You guys are the best! :D_

 _ **side note** : I've been writing a story called "Drastic Measures", but I want to say that I'm writing another story " **Two is better than one** ". The first chapter will be posted this weekend. Here's a short summary for those who are interested. _

_**Dimitri Belikov's boring and solitary life is turned upside down when he finds runaway Rose in his home stealing food. Only a teen, she's been living in her car for weeks. Intrigued by the girl, he decides to take her in and give her a fresh start, but that proves to be difficult when his feelings start to grow for Rose.**_

 _As always, it's all human. Anyway, you're all welcome to leave your thoughts on this idea! I'll put up an a/n here when I post the first chapter to the story. It'll probably be on Saturday, but I can't make any promises!_

 _Lots of love!  
RozaBelikova-x_


	25. AN: New Story Published

_**A/N:**_ _Hey hey, I've posted the first chapter to "Two Is Better Than One". I hope you're going to like it! Here's the summary again in case you don't remember:_

 _ **Dimitri Belikov's boring and solitary life is turned upside down when he finds runaway Rose in hi shome stealing food. Only a teen, she's been living in her car for weeks. Intrigued by the girl, he decides to take her in and give her a fresh start, but that proves to be difficult when his feelings for Rose start to grow.**_

 _Once again, it's all human!_

 _I'd like to thank all of you one last time for reading 'Surrender' and reviewing! Thank you so much!_

 _ **For the guest reviewer**_ _: Thank you so much! The initials used in my summaries are only "AH" which means 'All Human' and "AU" means 'Alternate Universe'. Hope this helps._

 _ **For the second guest reviewer**_ _: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you like my stories. I'll update every weekend (or at least, I try to :D). I kind of have worked out the plot already, but thanks for wanting to help me! Unfortunately, I can't message you because you logged in as a guest._

 _Lots of love! xoxo_


End file.
